TURKISH Airlines conducted its maiden flight from Istanbul to Kathmandu on Monday. The carrier said it would be operating four weekly flights between the two
cities. Flights will depart from Istanbul on Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Sunday and arrive at Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA) at 7:15 am. They will depart from Kathmandu on Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday. The Kathmandu-Istanbul flight will be the longest non-stop commercial flight (7 hours) from Nepal to Europe. The carrier said that introductory round trip fares from Istanbul to Kathmandu start at 406 euros (including taxes and fees). After Austrian Airlines discontinued its service to Nepal, there were no scheduled direct flights between Kathmandu and Europe. Currently, Dutch airline ArkeFly operates charter service between Amsterdam and Kathmandu. “We expect that the direct connectivity will enhance bilateral, cultural and economic relations between the two countries,” said Sezgin Saglam, senior vice-president, marketing and sales, of Turkish Airlines. The carrier currently serves 223 destinations in 104 countries and is the world’s fourth biggest carrier in terms of destinations. The carrier said that it would be coordinating with the Nepal Tourism Board to promote Nepal. Director general of the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal Ratish Chandra Lal Suman said that the Istanbul connection would be an important landmark for the country’s tourism at a time when Nepal’s national flag carrier Nepal Airlines has been unable to connect Europe. Similarly, NTB spokesperson Aditya Baral said that the direct scheduled flight to Europe has opened lots of avenues to increase promotion of Nepal as a tourist destination. The carrier has targeted 95 percent transit passengers for Europe and the United States from Nepal. Nepal and Turkey signed an air service agreement (ASA) in September 2010. Ratish Chandra Lal Suman, Director General of Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (2nd from right) and Sezgin Saglam, senior vice-president, Marketing and Sales of Turkish Airlines exchange gifts marking the carrier’s maiden flight to Nepal in Kathmandu on Monday. POST PHOTO
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