Flights to Lukla were cancelled for five days in a row due to unfavourable weather
KATHMANDU, OCTOBER 10
Flights to and from Tenzing Hillary Airport in Lukla have been obstructed for the past five days due to unfavourable weather conditions in the region.
As a result, hundreds of tourists awaiting their flights to Lukla from Ramechhap Airport have taken flights to Phaplu Airport instead of waiting for a flight to Lukla. Many have also travelled by jeep to Phaplu and decided to hike from there, while a few have called off their trek to the Khumbu region due to time constraints, tour operators say.
Options Autumn is the busiest time of the year for Tenzing-Hillary Airport in Lukla as it is the gateway to the Khumbu region and the base camp of Sagarmatha, the highest mountain in the world.
After flights could not be conducted from Ramechhap Airport for two consecutive days due to bad weather, airlines flying into the region started conducting flights to Phaplu Airport, which shortens the distance to Lukla from Ramechhap for tourists willing to move on, locals say.
"Several flights have been taking off for Phaplu Airport for the past four days. Around eight flights were conducted to Phaplu just today. Many tourists have also started hiring four-wheelers till the last drivable spot to hike from there, while some have even managed to arrange a helicopter from Phaplu to Lukla,"Pradip Kathayat, proprietor of Hotel Manakamana Airport View in Manthali told THT.
According to Kathayat, around 500 tourists are currently entering Ramechhap every day from Kathmandu to catch their flight to Lukla.
Over 700 tourists were stuck in Ramechhap at one point after their scheduled flights to Lukla were cancelled.
In a bid to reduce air traffic congestion at Tribhuvan International Airport, regular flights to Lukla from Kathmandu have been shifted to Manthali.
Summit Air, Tara Air, and Sita Air have been operating regular flights to Lukla from there. "A flight from Ramechhap to Lukla takes about 18 to 21 minutes and the increase in air traffic has contributed to the development of the airport and the region," he added.
Wary tour operators
Bad weather has also worried tour operators as many of their clients face unnecessary hassles.
According to Pemba Sher-pa, managing director of 8K expeditions, a number of their clients have been stuck at Ramechhap for the past six days. "Unless the weather improves, there is nothing one can do. Many of our clients are pressed for time and arranging helicopter flights to Lukla has been harder than ever due to the weather and flying there on a plane is out of the question for now. The scenario is similar in Lukla for many tourists who are stuck there awaiting a flight back," he informed.
Sherpa also shared that the number of tourists stuck at Ramechhap has decreased compared to a few days ago after many sought alternatives to reach Lukla, while some may have even made their way back to Kathmandu.
Managing Director of Himalayan Guides Iswari Paudel said cancellation of flight to Lukla from Ramechhap for the past couple of days has affected the company's plans for clients. "Many tourists have opted for a jeep ride to Phaphlu and to hike from there while others are still waiting for a flight. Around 1,200 tourists were said to be stuck at Ramechhap until a few days ago after tourists continued to arrive at the airport but could not fly to Lukla.
The current weather conditions have also made it hard for helicopters to fly into the region," he said.
As per Kathayat, there are around 10 medium and large-hotels with around 15rooms in Manthali. He shared that although the hotels around Ramechhap Airport can serve more than 350 tourists at a time, cancellation of flights due to bad weather had led to a large number of tourists getting stuck there.
Arrivals rebound
"Moreover, the number of tourists has increased this season. The number of Indians and Europeans heading to the Sagarmatha National Park (SNP) has increased while the number of tourists from China has been relatively low compared to previous trekking seasons,"Kathayat added.
Paudel also remarked that the number of tourists visit-ing the region had increased compared to the past few years and had reached the pre-pandemic level.
As per the statistics maintained by SNP, 57,690 tourists visited the Everest region in the last fiscal year 2022-23, compared to the arrival of around 53,000 tourists in fiscal 2018-19.
The number of arrivals is a significant increase com-pared to the previous years when just over 26,000 tourists visited the region in fiscal 2021-22, and around 8,195 in 2020-21.
According to Nawang Thupten Sherpa, a trekking guide and resident of Phakding, the number of tourists entering the region was looking very positive before weather conditions worsened in Lukla. "Almost every hotel and lodge was packed with tourists before the flights to Lukla were obstructed by the weather. Despite the delay in arrivals due to bad weather, tourist arrivals in the Khumbu region is expected to be higher than last year."
Around 750 households out of 2,341, are directly involved in the hotels/lodges businessin the region, while the remaining households benefit from operating tea shops, tourist shops, trekking, guiding, and selling mountaineering products.
As many as 225,235 tourists had visited the region between 2017 and 2022, generating revenue of over Rs 450 million, as per a report of the Khumbu Pasangalhamu Rural Municipality.
A version of this article appears in the print on October 11, 2023, of The Himalayan Times
