Heavy rains and poor visibility have led to the cancellation of several domestic flights in Nepal, with flights struggling to take off and land due to the low visibility. Flights have been cancelled since Thursday as persistent rain, cloud cover, and poor visibility have hampered flight operations, disrupting both regular passenger services and tourism-related operations. Airlines have been forced to keep a close eye on the weather as they grapple with the effects of poor visibility on their operations.
Buddha Air Information Officer Dipendra Kumar Karna reported that flight operations have been hampered in Pokhara, Bharatpur and Tumlingtar due to the poor visibility. The airports serve as crucial domestic airports, linking Kathmandu and other major tourist destinations with the rest of the country. Buddha Air currently operates flights to Bhadrapur, Tumlingtar, Biratnagar, Rajbiraj, Janakpur, Simara, Bharatpur, Pokhara, Nepalgunj, Surkhet and Dhangadhi in addition to Varanasi and Kolkata in India. The adverse weather has thus disrupted the operations of the airline.
Low Visibility Disrupts Pokhara And Other Tourist Routes
Flights to Pokhara, a major tourist destination in Nepal, have been disrupted with delays being reported on the route. The flight disruptions disrupt travel plans of tourists who have booked tours, accommodation and transportation in the city, which are dependent on the timely departure and arrival of flights. Flights to Bharatpur and Tumlingtar, major tourist destinations, have also been disrupted.
Mountain flights, a popular short haul scenic flight in the Himalayas, have also been suspended due to poor visibility and adverse weather conditions. The weather disruption has therefore impacted both regular passenger services and tourism related services, which center around flights in Nepal. The flights allow tourists to get a bird’s view of the mountains without having to trek or climb up the mountains an unpopular activity among many tourists.
Yeti Airlines Warns Of Delays And Schedule Changes
Yeti Airlines has warned its passengers that its flights could suffer further delays or changes to their schedules due to the adverse weather conditions. It urged passengers to check the airline’s website or application for updates on their flights before reporting to the airport. In so doing, the airline will be able to reduce the number of passengers who turn up at the airports only to be told that their flights have been delayed or cancelled.
Yeti Airlines Spokesperson Sudarshan Bartaula stated that the airline had cancelled its Pokhara flight due to the low visibility conditions. He further stated that the weather conditions had affected the timings of its flights to other destinations as well. Airlines must constantly assess the weather and visibility conditions before taking off or landing, and so schedules are subject to change if the flying conditions are not satisfactory.
Flight Disruptions Increase Passenger Pressure At TIA
The adverse weather conditions have also led to the congestion of passengers at the Tribhuvan International Airport as those whose flights have been delayed or cancelled have to wait before they can be re routed or receive refunds for their delayed flights. Those whose destination is served by a domestic flight run the risk of having to wait longer before they can travel to their destination, especially if they have booked connecting flights or do not have alternative means of transport. The weather disruption has also impacted the much needed connectivity within the country, which has an extensive domestic aviation network.
The latest adverse weather disruption is yet another reminder of the susceptibility of the domestic aviation network to weather disruptions. This impacts negatively on the tourism industry in Nepal, which relies heavily on the domestic aviation network to ferry tourists around the country to the numerous tourist destinations. Airlines continue to monitor weather conditions and visibility in preparation for their flights, as passengers are urged to do the same in order to avoid disruptions to their flight plans. As it rains steadily over Nepal, the next development in the changing weather visibility conditions will be crucial to the airlines.
