Kathmandu, 1 March: As the House of Representatives election approaches, passenger traffic on flights operating from Tribhuvan International Airport has increased significantly. With the election scheduled for this Thursday drawing near, airport authorities report that the number of departing passengers has been rising compared to arrivals.
According to Information Officer Tej Bahadur Poudyal, around 14,000 passengers have recently been traveling daily to and from Kathmandu on domestic flights.
Currently, approximately 130 domestic flights depart from Kathmandu each day, mostly operating at full capacity. “As the election date approaches, passenger movement through domestic airports has become heavier,” he said. “Although some flights experience delays due to adverse weather conditions, the number of flights is increasing in line with passenger demand.”
Unlike previous elections when domestic flights were suspended, authorities have informed that both domestic and international flights will operate regularly even on the day of voting this time. Passengers holding tickets for flights on Falgun 21 have been assured that they can travel without concern.
With voters heading toward their respective destinations for the election, airline business has surged, similar to the busy Dashain and Tihar festival season. According to airport statistics, on Falgun 11, a total of 14,281 passengers traveled through 236 flights from Kathmandu. Of these, 7,218 passengers departed, while 7,063 arrived in Kathmandu.
Similarly, on Falgun 12, a total of 12,734 passengers traveled on 239 domestic flights. Among them, 6,899 passengers departed and 5,835 arrived in Kathmandu.
On Falgun 13, 14,465 passengers traveled on 249 flights. Of these, 7,541 passengers departed and 6,924 arrived.
On Falgun 14, 13,424 passengers traveled on 243 flights. Among them, 7,244 passengers departed from Kathmandu, while 6,180 arrived.
According to the airport office, air traffic is expected to be extremely heavy during the three days prior to the election and the two days following it.
