Monsoon season and drop in tourists hit Nepal’s domestic flights

KATHMANDU: The onset of the monsoon season and a significant decline in foreign tourists have substantially impacted domestic flights in Nepal, resulting in a 30 percent drop in passenger occupancy and a reduction in fares.

Yeti Airlines has reported a passenger occupancy rate of around 70 percent for the past month. Sudarshan Bartaula, the head of flight security and spokesperson for Yeti Airlines, noted, “Now the off-season is ongoing in the domestic aviation industry. With the decreased arrival of foreign tourists due to the rains, we are not expecting much now.” Currently, Yeti Airlines serves 2,200 passengers daily with its fleet of seven ATR-72 series aircraft.

Buddha Air’s Sales and Marketing Director, Rupesh Joshi, also highlighted the decline in passenger numbers, stating that Buddha Air’s occupancy has decreased by 8 percent, now serving 7,000 passengers daily. Joshi mentioned, “This is the off-season. With the onset of monsoon, occupancy will further decrease.” Buddha Air operates 15 ATR-72 and three ATR-42 aircraft.

Similarly, Shree Airlines, which normally serves over 1,500 passengers daily, is now serving about 1,200 passengers daily. Anil Manandhar, the spokesperson for Shree Airlines, mentioned that the rainy season typically sees lower traffic, leading them to merge flights. Shree Airlines operates with seven turboprop Q-400, two CRJ-200, and two CRJ-700 aircraft.

As a result of the decreased occupancy, airline companies have reduced their fares. The current minimum airfares are as follows:

– Kathmandu to Pokhara: Rs 4,200
– Kathmandu to Biratnagar: Rs 5,700
– Kathmandu to Dhangadi: Rs 7,900
– Kathmandu to Nepalgunj: Rs 6,600
– Kathmandu to Janakpur: Rs 4,300
– Kathmandu to Bhadrapur: Rs 6,400
– Kathmandu to Simara: Rs 3,850