KATHMANDU, Oct 25: In the first week of Kartik (mid-October to mid-November), about 200,000 passengers have taken the air transport service. Due to Dashain and the tourist season, more than 180,000 passengers took the air service in one week.
Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA) officials reported that the number of passengers traveling on both domestic and international flights on Phulpati, a significant day of Dashain, was notably high. Subas Jha, TIA spokesperson, noted that this spike in passengers was linked to the Phulpati holiday when many people embark on their journeys.
"Tickets have been in high demand as the general public enjoys a holiday from their various occupations on Phulpati. It appears that a majority of travelers are either headed for festivals or sightseeing purposes," said spokesperson Jha.
TIA collects over Rs 11 billion in revenue in FY 2022/23
According to him, only 16,038 passengers took the service on the day of Phulpati. On the international side, 17,471 passengers took the service that day. A total of 33,509 passengers took the flight service that day.
Several domestic airlines, including Buddha Air, Yeti Airlines, Shree Airlines, Saurya Airlines, Summit Air, Nepal Airlines Corporation, Tara Air, Sita Air, among others, have been actively providing services. During this period, officials at the TIA noted a higher number of people departing from Kathmandu.
As of Wednesday, TIA officials revealed that the demand for tickets from passengers arriving in Kathmandu was significantly higher than that from those departing from the city.
Internationally, airlines such as Nepal Airlines Corporation, Himalaya Airlines, Air India, Vistara, Indigo, Qatar Airways, Malaysian Airlines, Air Arabia, Malindo, Jazeera, China Southern, China Eastern, Cathay Pacific, Bhutan Airways, Druk Air, Air China, Singapore Airlines, Sri Lanka Air, Turkish Airlines, Fly Dubai, and others have been operating regular flights.
At this time, the demand from foreign tourists visiting Nepal and Nepali nationals returning home for Dashain from foreign employment remains substantial, according to TIA officials.
