KATHMANDU, Oct 17: A total of 237,000 people traveled by air through Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA) during the five days of the Bada Dashain festival.
According to the TIA office's statistics, a total of 160,910 people used domestic flights and 78,512 used international flights from the sixth day of Dashain (Phulpati) to the penultimate day, i.e., from October 10 to 14.
According to TIA Spokesperson Rinji Sherpa, during the seven days of Dashain, from October 10 (Phulpati) to the day before the full moon (October 16), there were a total of 2,940 flights, including 2,159 domestic flights and 781 international flights. This figure represents the total number of round-trip flights.
According to the TIA, a total of 427,946 people traveled by air from September 29 to October 14. This includes 223,847 domestic travelers and 240,099 international travelers.
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Similarly, according to the TIA's statistics, a total of 6,852 flights were operated from September 29 to October 14, including 5,108 domestic flights and 1,744 international flights.
Earlier, on September 30, a total of 559 domestic and international flights were operated in a single day. On that same day, 35,704 passengers traveled by air on those flights.
Due to continuous rainfall on September 27 and 28, floods and landslides disrupted road networks in various parts of the country, leading to an increase in air traffic. As the pressure on both domestic and international flights increased at the TIA, the terminal building was overcrowded with passengers.
The TIA office reported that flight operations are gradually returning to normalcy. Currently, 30 airlines, including three Nepali carriers, operate international flights from TIA, while seven airlines provide domestic flight services.
During Dashain, the airline companies operated flights to accessible domestic airports. Private airlines like Buddha Air, Yeti Airlines, and Shree Airlines operated the most flights. These companies have large and medium-sized aircraft.
Buddha Air and Yeti Airlines operate ATR 70 aircraft, while Shree Airlines operates 80-seat capacity Dash 8 aircraft. Summit Air, Tara Air, and Sita Air operate flights to remote destinations, including Lukla, using smaller aircraft.
Nepal Airlines Corporation has been operating flights to remote areas with only two aircraft for domestic flights.
