Dhangadi, Mar. 31:Air passengers to Bhajang and Bajura districts have been stranded here, unable to reach their respective destinations, because of non-availability of air tickets.

Aircraft are the only means of transport for reaching the headquarters of these two geographically most remote districts in the country.

A minimal number of flights available in comparison to an increasing number of passengers in the districts has led to the situation, says Royal Nepal Airlines Corporation (rnac) Dhangadi.

The two districts are served by one flight each every week from Dhangadi. Rnac flies every Saturday to Bhajang and every Friday to Bajura. These weekly flights are also cancelled sometimes for various reasons, and as only 11 seats are available to the general public on every flight, people have to wait months to get a ticket, it is said.

People loose time as well as money as they are compelled to stay in hotels while waiting for their turn to fly.

“I have been struggling since the past month to get a ticket from the rnac ticket counter, but in vain”, says Dil Bahadur Bohra. The ticket counter in Dhangadi is always swarming with 80 to 90 persons striving for a ticket.

Rnac had been running two flights a week to Bhajang, but has reduced this to a single flight from today.

People of the district, which is yet to be linked by road, have been demanding additional flights. But the minimal number of airplanes with rnac and adverse weather conditions have led to a reduction, says rnac Dhangadi chief Shambhu Dutta Bhatta.

Meanwhile, local police had to intervene to bring under control a tense situation which arose following a quarrel among people gathered at the rnac counter to buy tickets.

Rnac flies to Chainpur in Bhajang and Martadi, Bajura.