Nepal Airlines Corporation resumes flights for trekkers aiming for Mount Everest

The state-run Nepal Airlines Corporation (NAC) has resumed its services to the Lukla airport, two years after suspending the flight operation to the gateway to Mount Everest, according to a media report Sunday.

A large number of foreign trekkers and mountaineers, who want to climb the world's highest mountain, travel to this airport also known as Tenzing-Hillary airport, to reach the base camp.

The airline operated three flights on Saturday -- two with the China-made Y12e plane while one with Twin Otter aircraft, an official spokesperson said.

"We have two charter flights and a scheduled flight for Sunday," NAC spokesperson Ashok Sigdel was quoted as saying in the report.

Situated at a height of 2,845 metres from the mean sea level, the Lukla airport is the most lucrative airfield for domestic airlines. The cost of the 25-minute flight from Kathmandu for foreigners is probably the world’s most expensive as they have to shell more than three times higher airfare than the fare charged on Nepali travellers, it said.

The flight to Lukla airport by the 15-seater Y12e plane, which is the improved version of China-made Harbin Yunshuji Y-12-II, was also its maiden passenger flights. The plane was inducted into the NAC fleet after a successful test flight to Lukla airport last month, the report said.

(With inputs from agencies.)