Tourists stranded in Manthali for the past four days due to the suspension of Manthali-Lukla flights are now being airlifted by helicopter to Solukhumbu’s Phaplu and Surke. Over a thousand tourists had been stuck in Manthali since Monday after poor weather in the Khumbu region caused flight disruptions.
According to Hiran Sah, Deputy Manager of the Civil Aviation Office in Manthali, flights to Lukla were briefly resumed on Wednesday but were suspended again due to worsening weather. “Since flights couldn’t operate on Thursday, helicopters from various companies started airlifting tourists to Phaplu and Surke around 11:30 a.m.,” Sah confirmed. Each helicopter is transporting five tourists to Solukhumbu and bringing back the same number to Manthali.
The government has arranged for international tourists visiting the Everest region to travel via Manthali Airport in Ramechhap, with flights to and from Lukla as part of its tourism facilitation efforts.
Source: Gorkhapatra
