Kathmandu: Nepal’s aviation industry has lost more than Rs 17 billion in revenue due to the covid-19 pandemic.
According to the data made public by the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN), the biggest impact of the Covid 19 has been on the national flag carrier Nepal Airlines. The Nepal Airlines Corporation has lost about Rs 5 billion in revenue during the pandemic.
Himalayan Airlines, another international airline, has lost Rs 2 billion in revenue. Although Nepal Airlines and Himalayan Airlines have earned some income through chartered flights, they are losing huge income due to not being able to operate regular flights.
Domestic airlines, on the other hand, lost Rs 10.62 billion during the period. This includes scheduled flight companies and helicopter operators. Although regular flights have been running since September, the income of helicopters has not returned to normal even after the arrival of tourists.
According to CAAN Director General Rajan Pokharel, the revenue of CAAN has also declined during this period. CAAN has lost Rs 5.69 billion due to Corona.
CAAN had projected a total income of Rs. 8.33 billion for the fiscal year 2020/21, including airport charges. However, the income was only Rs 2.63 billion.