Kangel Airport (File Photo)
The Solukhumbu-based Kangeldanda Airport has been lying dysfunctional for over the years.
The airport located at Thulung Dudhkoshi Rural Municipality-2 of Solukhumbu – a district having the highest number of airports in Nepal – has not come to its function for the past around seven years.
Flight service to and from the airport that was constructed in 2052 BS with multimillion rupees investment of the State has stopped since 2072 BS.
With the airport lying idle for a long time, it has now been converted into a grazing land.
The sorry state of affairs of the airport has also disappointed the locals who however were elated after the successful test flight at Kangeldanda airport.
According to the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN), the airport was not in a situation of operation without necessary maintenance as its construction was faulty from a technical perspective.
Locals have no optimism for the airport operation since its tower and boundary were deteriorating one day after another.
Thulung Dudhkoshi Rural Municipality said their assiduous efforts in resuming the airport operation did not yield any result in concrete.
The airport that had started its service since 2062/63 BS remained shut after 2072 BS.
It may be noted that the Nepal Airlines and Tara Airlines had been providing air service to and from the airport before it.
