Flights on the Jomsom-Pokhara route resumed after 61 days on Thursday. The air service connecting Pokhara and Jomsom was halted on June 29 this year owing to adverse weather conditions.
Pokhara is the tourism capital of Nepal and Jomsom municipality is the starting point of the scenic trekking routes in Upper Mustang and Manang district. flight is the quickest mode of travel in 20 minutes across a distance of 68 km. The road trip would take a minimum of 5-6 hours or more, depending on road conditions. Blockage of Benighat-Jomsom road due to landslides affects tourism in this area.
The resumption of flights would boost the influx of both domestic and foreign tourists to Mustang. Generally, flights on the Pokhara-Jomsom route get suspended for two months each year during monsoon. The majority of the passengers in Pokhara to Jomsom flights are Indian tourists who visit Muktinath Vishnu Temple.
Sweta Singh (Kathmandu)