-KATHMANDU
The number of booking air ticket has been increased as Dashain, the main festival of Hindus is approaching near and it has been problematic for many, as most of the tickets have already been sold out.
Air passengers; both domestic and international are expected to have a hard time finding flights ticket due to the upcoming festive season and peak tourism season of the country. Every year this season becomes peak in TIA and the domestic, as well as international flights, are greatly influenced with a very high demand for bookings. The weather in this season is the best around one whole year which also results in relative increase in the flight frequencies too. However, the increased flight frequencies cannot meet the high demand for tickets resulting many travelers compelled to choose an alternative way of transportation.
The busy air traffic, restricted operational time, many of the airports deprived of night operations and the existence of only one international airport adds in the difficulty to operate the flights in the required frequency as most of the airlines state.
According to officials from Buddha Air, they informed that 75 percent of tickets have already been booked until the season of Dashain occasion. Buddha Air’s flight tickets to Tumlingtar, Bharatpur, Simara have been sold out whereas only few tickets are left for Bhadrapur and Biratnagar sector before Dashain. Buddha Air has been conducting scheduled flight to Tumlingtar, Bharatpur, Simara, Bhairahawa, Nepalgunj, Dhangadi, Surkhet and Pokhara with its 6 ATR72-500, 3 ATR42-320 and 2 beech-craft 1900D.
Bhim Raj Rai, Ground Handling Manager of Yeti Airlines stated that 60 percent tickets of Yeti Airlines have already been booked. The airline presently owns 6 BAE Jetstream 41 and 3 ATR 72-500 operating flights to Biratnagar, Pokhara, Bhadrapur, Bharatpur, Janakpur, Bhairahawa, and Nepalgunj along with mountain flights while its subsidiary Tara Air fleet includes two Dornier Do 228, three De Havilland Canada DHC-6-300 Twin Otter and one Viking Air DHC-6-400 Twin Otter operating flights to Simikot, Jomsom, Bajura, Jumla, Lukla, Phaplu Rara and so on.
Anil Manandhar, corporate manager of Shree Airlines stated that 50 percent tickets of Shree Airlines have already been booked. Shree Airlines owns 2 CRJ-200 and 2 CRJ-700 aircraft. Shree Airlines conduct scheduled flight to Bhairahawa, Nepalgunj, Dhangadhi, Bhadrapur, Biratnagar, and Rajbiraj.
