Nepal-based Buddha Air introduces flights from Kathmandu to Lucknow

10th Jan 2011

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According to an IANS report, Nepal’s campaign to attract one million tourists this year received a boost with Buddha Air beginning flights to India recently. 

Nepal-based Buddha Air launched its inaugural flight from Kathmandu to Lucknow, the main city in Uttar Pradesh, last week. 
Rupesh Joshi, Marketing Manager, Buddha Air said, “We are starting with a 47-seater aircraft but will switch over to a bigger one once it catches on. By March this year, we hope to start flights to Kolkata.” 

The 15-year-old airline, with an asset of USD 30 million and covering nine destinations in Nepal, will be initially running three flights a week to Lucknow in the evening - Wednesday, Friday, Sunday - with a return flight at night.

Joshi said that the Indian authorities had given permission to run flights to four Indian cities - Lucknow, Kolkata, Varanasi and Patna. Though Buddha Air was initially scheduled to begin the India flights last year, the plan had to be postponed as the Indian authorities’ go-ahead came only in November last year. The airline also plans to introduce direct flights between Lucknow and Pokhara, a prime tourist destination in Nepal.