The number of air travelers has surged due to the landslides blocking highways connecting the federal capital in the weekend.
Normally, airlines merge two flights into one due to low passenger numbers. However, on Sunday, all seats were fully booked.
Some airlines have reported that their seats are fully booked until Tuesday. With road routes blocked due to the landslides, the influx of passengers travelling in and out of the valley has shifted to air travel.
The Nepal Electricity Authority has not been able to inspect the extent of damages caused by the recent floods and landslides due to lack of air tickets.
Speaking at a press conference held by the Ministry of Energy, Water Resources, and Irrigation on Sunday, Kul Man Ghising, the executive director of the Nepal Electricity Authority, expressed frustration over the difficulty in securing air tickets.
"Our team is ready to inspect the hydropower projects affected by the landslides," Ghising stated, "But we cannot proceed due to the lack of flight tickets."
While internal flights that were mostly grounded on Friday and Saturday resumed normally on Sunday, airlines reported an increase in passengers as the weather improved from Saturday evening. The rise in numbers of passengers also stemmed from flights being rescheduled from Friday and Saturday to Sunday.
Sudarshan Bartaula, the spokesperson for Yeti Airlines, noted that all tickets have been fully booked until Tuesday.
He added that Yeti Airlines had 70 flights on Sunday. "On other days, we had to merge flights due to low passenger numbers," he explained.
Buddha Air, which operates the most flights, reported similar situation on Sunday. Dipendra Karna, the communications manager of Buddha Air, noted that they had to accommodate passengers who had purchased tickets for Friday and Saturday, resulting in additional demand on Sunday.
Airlines have decided not to charge the maximum fare until Wednesday and have reported full bookings for flights to Biratnagar, Tumlingtar, and Bhairahawa. Karna stated, "All tickets for these destinations are fully booked, although some destinations still have availability." Currently, Buddha Air operates 170 flights daily (340 including both departures and arrivals).
Meanwhile, following complaints about airlines raising fares during the crisis, airlines have agreed not to sell tickets at the maximum fare. The government sets the maximum and minimum fare rates based on location. In response to increased passenger demand and complaints about high airfares, the Airlines Operators Association of Nepal announced on Sunday that they would not charge the maximum fare.
After a meeting held by the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal, the association issued directives to its members to refrain from charging the maximum fare from Monday.
Meanwhile, the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal has urged airlines operating international flights in Nepal to waive various fees for passengers who have already booked tickets for international flights from Friday to Wednesday. CAAN requested this facility for those who purchased tickets for international flights but were unable to travel due to heavy rainfall.
The authority has urged airlines to provide this facility until October 11 for those whose flights were disrupted. Airlines have been requested to waive charges for changes in flight times, no-show fees, fare increases, and other charges.