The flight cancellations have affected especially the tourists visiting Muktinath, according to the airlines operating on the route.
"Currently, the poor weather condition has become our biggest enemy. This week alone, we cancelled 47 flights. But we operated a few flights whenever the weather allowed," said Pokhara-based station manager of Tara Airlines, Ram Lamichhane. [break]
Tara Airlines had recently started using two airplanes after the flow of tourists visiting Muktinath temple increased.
On normal days, Tara Airline has been operating nine regular flights in the Pokhara-Jomsom-Pokhara route. "We encounter this problem every year but this time it has gotten prolonged," said Lamichhane.
Pokhara based Nepal Airlines Chief Mahesh Moktan echoed Lamichhane. "In the last 10 days, more than two dozen flights have been cancelled and the weather condition is showing least improvement," said Moktan.
"Since the weather is not improving there is nothing we can do. And the tourists are the hardest hit as they remain stranded," added Moktan.
Meanwhile, the proprietor of Landmark Hotel in Pokhara Om Prakash Panday shared that business has declined due to flight cancellations.
"Many Indian tourists who had arrived earlier left for India after they were informed that flights to Jomsom are uncertain," said Panday.
Air traffic controller at Jomsom airport Surya Bahadur Khatri shared that despite the bad weather conditions a small number of tourists have been chartering helicopters to Muktinath."
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