(English) Airline companies likely to face additional pressure

KATHMANDU, Nepal– With Hindu’s greatest festival approaching near, the airline companies are likely to face additional pressure fort the air tickets.

Keeping in view the mounting pressures, the companies have already started advanced booking and 70 percent of booking has even completed so far.

Continuing the earlier trends, airline operators have arranged additional flights during festival season and some airline companies have witnessed additional pressure of 15 percent.

“We used to arrange additional flights during festival season even in the past. We will have to add more this year as there will be additional pressure of 15 percent,” Karobar daily quoted spokesperson of the Airline Operators Association of Nepal (AOAN) and Marketing Director of Simrik Airlines Ghanashyam Acharya as saying. He estimates that the pressure for the seat may rise since the monsoon season is still active.

Airline companies have started advanced booking huge pressure of passengers going outside from Kathmandu for Dashain festival. According an official of Buddha airlines, they found unbearable pressure this year though they have allowed advanced booking annually.

They said that there is greater pressure for eastern region.

The airline company says additional flights will be arranged according to the state of booking.. Saurya Airlines has already brought airplanes in Kathmandu to start operation from Dashain.

Passengers likely to suffer

With the lack of adequate airplanes to operate flights, people in the remote sectors are likely to suffer much during festive period.

The number of companies operating in the remote sector has reduced after Sita and single-engine carriers of Air Kasthamandup have been downgraded to cargo flights.

The passengers in the remote sectors are set to suffer further as there will be delay in arrival of the Chinese Y12 airplanes that the NAC was planning to bring to operate flights in the remote sectors.