Tourists in trouble as air flights to Lukla are affected

RAMECHHAP, March 30:Tourists who came to visit the Everest region are in difficulties since air flights have been disrupted by bad weather conditions.

Flights at Tenzing Hillary Airport Lukla have been disrupted as a result of the weather change during the last two days, causing problems for tourists.

Most people that visit Khumbu during the tourist season fly up through Lukla. However, due to severe weather conditions, passengers were stopped at Manthali in Ramechhap because the plane was unable to fly on time, according to Phurwa Sherpa, a tourism businessman.

According to Umesh Panthi, head of the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN) Lukla, 40 flights from Kathmandu and Manthali to Lukla were scheduled for Thursday, but the majority of them were canceled due to weather.

"Four planes carrying tourists from Manthali to Lukla in the morning stopped at Lukla due to bad weather," Panthi said in a statement. The weather cleared slightly in the morning, allowing the jet to arrive but not return; the plane was stopped due to a lack of sight, he stated.

The Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal Lukla said that most flights to Lukla had been canceled owing to severe weather on Wednesday as well.

According to Amrit Magar, CEO of Tara Airlines Lukla, over a hundred visitors attempting to return to Kathmandu from the Everest region are currently stranded at Lukla airport.

Because the weather is unlikely to change immediately, some tourists walked to Thamdanda before driving back to Kathmandu via Salleri.

According to local resident Jagat Thapa, more than two visitors are waiting for suitable weather conditions to travel to Lukla in Ramechhap's Manthali. According to him, domestic and foreign visitors who had left Kathmandu to visit the Everest region were forced to stop in Manthali due to aircraft delays.

Subas Jhal, spokeswoman for Tribhuvan International Airport, stated that both domestic and international flights were disrupted owing to low visibility.