Nepal’s government has decided to grant permission to conduct additional international flights, as per Yogesh Kumar Bhattarai, Minister for Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation.
The minister, via Facebook, informed public that a discussion with PM K P Sharma Oli and Deputy PM Ishwar Pokhrel had yielded a positive response, and was permitted to operate additional flights.
The decision comes after recent media reports highlighted plight of Nepali migrant workers faced abroad, especially those who remain stranded in the Middle-East without an income or a job. Earlier, video of mass protest against PM Oli held in Saudi Arabia, had become viral on social media. Workers said they were unable to come home, and faced an economic crisis as they spent more time abroad.
Currently, the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN) has given permission to operate limited flights to bring only up to 800 passengers a day.
According to Bhattarai, the government will allow the airlines companies to conduct additional flights based on the demand from the countries, where regular flights have resumed, to bring the passengers possessing PCR negative certificate.
Similarly, the government will also give permission for the repatriation flights with priority if any company wants to send the Nepali workers home in its own cost.
Repatriation flights to be operated by using the Welfare Fund of labourers will also be managed by the Ministry of Labour, Employment and Social Security in coordination with the diplomatic missions stationed in the concerned countries, Bhattarai said.
Likewise, the government would also grant flight permission to bring the passengers having PCR negative certificate from the countries where regular flights have not resumed.
Minister Bhattarai said that the government was serious about the difficulties facing by Nepali in their workplaces abroad, adding that additional efforts would be made in coming days for the repatriation of Nepalis.
