Kathmandu, April 21:

All domestic airlines under the Airline Operators Association of Nepal resumed operations today. Both domestic and international airlines are running their operations smoothly today, said an official at the Tribhuwan International Airport.

However, a source at Buddha Air said the airline could not operate all its flights today due to the curfew. “Although there were swelling domestic arrivals at TIA there were very few passengers for departure flights,” he said. The airlines under AOAN had stalled their operations on Thursday expressing solidarity with the ongoing movement for democracy.

Mohan Khanal, managing director of the Royal Nepal Airlines Corporation, said it flew to all sectors today. “However, passenger turnout was low than normal days and some even missed flights failing to arrive on time,” he said.

The TIA official said there were over one hundred departure flights today, more than the average departure flights of 75 a day, he said. On the other hand, the departure flights in the international sector had more passengers today while the arrival figures were negligible. “The tourists were more eager to leave the country,” he said.

Most of the passengers on both domestic and international flights reached the airport before 9a.m today even for evening flights due to the curfew.

The imposition of curfew and the denial of curfew passes to airlines and TIA have caused tremendous problems to the passengers and the aviation sector.

“Normally, pre-paid taxis used to ferry passengers from the airport to the required areas even when the curfew was on. Passengers are having a hard time now since pre-paid taxis are not allowed to operate during the curfew,” he said. The concerned authorities should have temporarily shut the airport instead of giving the aviation sector and passengers a hard time, he added.

Nepal Tourism Board’s shuttle service to air passengers and tourists is not enough to cater to all the travelers, he added. The official further added that ferrying airport and airlines staff through security escorts is impractical.