Kathmandu: A total of 237,000 travelers passed through Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA) during the five days of the Bada Dashain festival, according to the TIA office’s recent statistics.
From October 10 to 14, which marked the period from the sixth day of Dashain (Phulpati) to the penultimate day, 160,910 passengers used domestic flights while 78,512 opted for international flights.
TIA Spokesperson Rinji Sherpa reported that a total of 2,940 flights were operated during the seven-day festival, which spanned from October 10 to October 16. This included 2,159 domestic flights and 781 international flights, representing the total number of round-trip flights.
Overall, air travel statistics from September 29 to October 14 indicate that 427,946 passengers traveled through TIA, comprising 223,847 domestic travelers and 240,099 international travelers. During this period, a total of 6,852 flights were conducted, including 5,108 domestic and 1,744 international flights.
On September 30 alone, the airport saw a significant increase in traffic, with 559 domestic and international flights operating and 35,704 passengers traveling on that day. The surge in air travel was largely attributed to floods and landslides caused by continuous rainfall on September 27 and 28, which disrupted road networks across the country.
The TIA office noted that flight operations are gradually returning to normal. Currently, 30 airlines, including three Nepali carriers, provide international flight services from TIA, while seven airlines operate domestically.
During Dashain, airlines focused on maintaining flights to accessible domestic airports. Private carriers such as Buddha Air, Yeti Airlines, and Shree Airlines operated the majority of flights, utilizing large and medium-sized aircraft. Specifically, Buddha Air and Yeti Airlines deployed ATR 70 aircraft, while Shree Airlines used 80-seat capacity Dash 8 aircraft. Additionally, smaller airlines like Summit Air, Tara Air, and Sita Air provided services to remote destinations, including Lukla.
Nepal Airlines Corporation is currently operating flights to remote areas with a limited fleet of only two aircraft for domestic services.