Kamala Bista, 87, remains at the district hospital in Taplejung, awaiting treatment but facing significant challenges in being transferred to Kathmandu for further care. Her family is torn between taking her on a road trip, despite her prone to motion sickness or leaving her in pain. The only alternative, a flight, is currently unavailable, as Suketar Airport remains closed.

Bista’s grandson, Suraj Ojha from Jhapa, is considering hiring an ambulance, but the family is hesitant. Their past experiences with road travel have been painful due to Kamala’s severe vomiting, making the prospect of another journey daunting.

Adding to the distress, the Suketar Airport, which was the primary gateway for Taplejung residents to reach Kathmandu, has been closed since mid-December. The closure followed the grounding of Nepal Airlines Corporation’s Twin Otter aircraft, leaving the community without flight services. Previously, Suketar hosted flights between Kathmandu and Taplejung five times a week, which were especially beneficial for elderly or sick passengers who needed better medication immediately. With no flights operating, local residents have been left with no choice but to endure long road journeys.

Kendra Singh Limbu, from ward 2 of Phaktanglung Rural Municipality, faced a similar situation. After three days of treatment at the district hospital, his grandson, Shravan Limbu, was forced to bring him back home rather than follow doctors’ advice to seek further treatment in Kathmandu or Dharan. Shravan cited the lack of flight services and his reluctance to travel by road as the reasons for his decision. “If the flight services were operational, I would have taken him. But under the circumstances, I had to bring him back to the village,” Shravan said.

Since the grounding of Nepal Airlines’ aircraft, Suketar Airport has been closed for over two months. The airport’s runway, a 950-meter paved stretch, can accommodate small aircraft, but the situation has worsened due to limited interest from private companies in resuming flights. The problematic road conditions leading to Bhadrapur and Biratnagar compound the issue, requiring a gruelling 8- to 9-hour journey from Taplejung.

Assistant Station In-charge at Suketar Airport, Kumar Gurung, confirmed that there have been no flights since December 9, despite the public’s constant inquiries about when services will resume. “People keep asking when the aircraft will be repaired, and we say that the authorities are working on it,” Gurung said.

The absence of flights affects Taplejung and neighbouring areas such as Yangwark, Hilihang, and Aathrai of Tehrathum, which rely on the airport for transportation.

Local activists have pointed to a lack of coordination with private airlines that previously operated flights from Suketar. Airlines companies like Sita, Tara, and Summit Air suspended services during the off-season, only resuming flights during the tourist season. The discontinuation has led to protests and calls for accountability from both the government and private companies.

Kalpana Gurung, a resident, expressed concern over the apparent lack of initiative by former Tourism Minister Yogesh Bhattarai’s office to address the issue. Despite this, Bhattarai’s secretariat claims that discussions are ongoing to resolve the matter soon.

Bal Bahadur Tamang, chair of Sarokar Kendra, said he had not pursued talks with private companies, assuming that repairing Nepal Airlines Corporation’s aircraft would resolve the problem. However, he acknowledged the pressing need for regular flights to Taplejung. “If the two aircraft of NAC are operational, Taplejung would have five flights a week, meeting the immediate demand,” Tamang said.

Despite Suketar Airport’s long-standing history, dating back to its construction in 1976, its reliability has been a constant issue. Although the paving of the runway had raised hopes for more consistent services, the reality has fallen short. Dilli Paudel, a resident of Phungling Municipality, expressed frustration over the unfulfilled promise of regular flights.