No air tickets to return to Nepal for Dashain

KATHMANDU, Sept 15

Nepali, who had gone abroad for employment and study, will face difficulties to travel to their home during the upcoming festivals like Dashain, Tihar and Chhath.

Tickets of the majority of airline companies have already been booked as the festival and onset of tourist season have coincided. Only some business-class tickets remain unsold now. “A few airline companies are selling the remaining expensive tickets now. All the rest have been sold,” promoter of Gandaki Travel Agency and former president of the Nepal Association of Tour and Travel Agents (NATTA) Ramkaji Kone says. “The pressure on tickets is greater as the Dashain is earlier this year,” he adds.

An estimated 4 million Nepalis have gone to Malaysia and the Gulf states in search of employment. There is a one-way pressure for tickets as the majority of these Nepalis come home ahead of Dashain and return back after Tihar and Chhath. “Nepali passengers face problems as they look for tickets in the eleventh hour,” Chairman of President Travels Bhola Bikram Thapa states. “There is more pressure from the Gulf states now. A few airline companies operating flights from there have added some flights but that will not suffice,” he adds. He says there is some relief as Qatar, Fly Dubai, Air Arabia and other airline companies have scheduled some added flights. 

Kone also concurs and says tourists coming to Nepal do not face such problems as they book tickets in advance while Nepalis make travel plans late. He claims that foreign airline companies have been charging more money from those wanting to come to Nepal ahead of Dashain at any cost. He opines that foreign airline companies have been capitalizing on the weakness of the national flag carrier Nepal Airlines Corporation (NAC). “We can sustain many airline companies during this season but sadly there are not enough companies as per the demand,” he says.

Tickets from not just Malaysia and the Gulf states but also from European countries are becoming difficult to get. General sales agent (GSA) in Nepal of Turkish Airlines, that has been operating direct flights to Nepal, Zenith Travels says all the tickets have been booked. “All the airline companies have stopped giving tickets now as both the festival and tourist season have started. All the tickets have been booked,” promoter of Zenith Joy Dewan says. He reveals the tickets have been booked earlier this year as a large number of European tourists have booked through Turkish Airlines.

A total of 27 airline companies have been operating international flights to Nepal. Indian companies Jet Airways, Air India, Indigo and Spice are operating flights from India while Etihad, Fly Dubai, Air Arabia, and Qatar Airways are operating flights from the Gulf states. Malaysian Air and Air Asia have been operating flights from Malaysia. Turkish Airlines started flights since the last year while China Southern, Air China, and China Eastern have been operating from China. The NAC is the only Nepali airline company operating international flights.