Kathmandu: Paragliders returned to the Pokhara sky on Sunday after a hiatus of two weeks.
Sunil Bahadur Bhattarai, president of the Nepal Airsports Association, said paragliders took off from Mandredhunga in Pokhara Sub-metropolitan City-18 at 11 am on Sunday.
Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN), the aviation sector regulator, ordered operators to stop paragliding citing security reasons on December 15.
According to Bhattarai, CAAN and paragliding operators have reached an understanding to operate paragliding services within the timeframe allocated by CAAN from the designated location and by effectively managing flight slots on a ‘first come, first served’ basis.
As per the understanding, paragliding operators can set prices for their services on their own. Earlier, NAA had asked the operators to charge Rs 12,000 per flight.
Paragliding is a popular tourist activity in Pokhara, as one can enjoy breathtaking views of the Annapurna and Dhaulagiri mountain ranges, as well as the picturesque landscapes of Pokhara Valley, from the flight.
Commercial paragliding began in Nepal 25 years ago. Out of 62 paragliding companies registered with the government, 52 are currently operational.
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