KATHMANDU, Nov 15: Tourism entrepreneurs have accused the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN) of negligence towards the plight of air travelers, leading to a significant increase in international airfares. They claimed that airfares have risen because CAAN neglected the inconvenience caused to air travelers during the closure of the Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA) for upgrades.
Sagar Pandey, president of the Trekking Agencies Association of Nepal (TAAN), stated that proper groundwork was lacking while expanding the international airport, which caters to thousands of domestic and international air travelers daily. “All air travelers have suffered because CAAN failed to discuss and find solutions with airline companies in a timely manner,” he said. “Is it reasonable to give a short notice to such a crucial and sensitive sector as airlines?”
He mentioned that despite discussions about airport expansion which has been ongoing since 2009, CAAN failed to plan adequately and provide sufficient notice to the concerned parties to minimize the inconvenience to passengers, which he described as a major shortcoming. Pandey claimed that the authority displayed its weak and impractical approach by trying to get airlines to work on a short notice, highlighting the administrative body’s inefficiency in managing the country’s aviation sector.
Tourism sector struggles as TIA upgrades drive airfare hikes
Tourism entrepreneurs say that the country's aviation sector has received a negative message due to the weak system and shortsightedness of the regulatory body. Pandey explained that this situation arose because the authority did not provide adequate preparation time to the airlines. “In this matter, CAAN has failed,” he said, “Because of CAAN, Nepal’s airspace has once again become the subject of international criticism.”
Due to the immature handling of the situation by state bodies, the image of Nepal's airspace has been tarnished internationally, and passengers have been negatively affected. The reluctance of international airlines to operate flights in Nepal has increased. Pandey stated that the failure of the government and concerned authorities to fulfill their responsibilities properly has directly impacted passengers, airlines, and the tourism sector.
Due to the prolonged closure of the TIA, international airfares have significantly increased. Since November 8, as the airport's taxiway expansion work has led to only 14 hours of daily operation, most international airlines have started charging higher fares.
In this regard, various organizations and associations have been protesting against the arbitrary increase in airfares by the airlines. They have met with the concerned ministries and ministers, urging them to reduce the high fare hikes.
President of the Hotel Association of Nepal (HAN) Binayak Shah stated that the necessary preparations for the airport expansion were not made in time. “It seems that the airport expansion work did not involve the required groundwork regarding the challenges it would pose to the tourism sector and travelers,” Shah told Republica, “The government wants to work, but it never conducts proper studies or plans for the work.” He added that the entire country has to bear the consequences. He also mentioned that the tourism business has been adversely affected while the government expands the airport during the peak tourist season.
After airlines began charging high fares citing the TIA closure, the CAAN instructed the airlines to reduce their fare rates. The government directed more than 15 airlines to ensure the availability of air tickets and facilitate smooth and affordable air travel. However, high fare rates have not been controlled until now. The CAAN has stated that the abnormal increase in international airfares is a result of deliberate misconduct by the airlines.
Since November 8, the expansion of the airport’s sensitive infrastructures has been underway to uplift them to ICAO standards. This includes the parallel taxiways to the southwest of the sensitive area, the ‘international apron’ to the north, and the ‘hangar apron’ to the east of the airport. The area within 75 meters on either side of the runway is highly sensitive, and work is being carried out in this area considering security concerns. The airport has been closed for daily maintenance from 10 pm to 8 am.
