|
|
|
|
/td>
|
Thai
charter airline Phuket Air to begin Nepal flights |
November
2004
The
Thai charter airline, Phuket Air, is to begin thrice-weekly Boeing
757 flights on the Bangkok-Kathmandu-Dubai route from January 17,
2005. The airline reportedly has fifth-freedom rights between Kathmandu
and Dubai, and this is expected to provide a choice to passengers who now
have to rely only on Nepal Airlines on that direct route. The Phuket
Air flight is also expected to allow Gulf-based tourists to combine their
Thai and Nepal holidays. |
New
Paro - KTM - Delhi flights |
November
2004
Druk
Air has started a new winter flight schedule offering early morning
Kathmandu-Delhi flights on its new Airbus 319 on Sundays and Wednesdays. Delhi-Kathmandu flights are on Fridays and Saturdays. From 11 November-14 February the
airline will go back to its BAe146 three times a week from Paro to Kathmandu and Kathmandu to Delhi on Sundays, Wednesdays and Fridays and back
on Mondays, Thursdays and Saturdays. |
Finnair
begins charter Helsinki-Kathmandu flights |
November
2004
Finnair has begun its charter flights to Nepal, directly linking the Nepali capital
to the Finnish capital of Helsinki from November 03, 2004. Finnair's chartered
flights are coordinated by the Kathmandu-based Yeti Travels, it is stated
in the press communiqué
The
operation of chartered flight from Finland is believed to increase the
number of Finnish tourists to Nepal. Last year, 813 Finnish tourists visited
Nepal whereas in 2002 only 714 tourists came to Nepal. In 2000, 1460 Finnish
tourists had visited Nepal.
It
took Finnair seven hours and forty minutes to arrive Kathmandu from Helsinki. |
Cosmic
Air for domestic flights |
November
2004
Cosmic
Air, the private sector airlines, had launched Fokker-100, the 105-seater
jet plane, in domestic sectors to ferry passengers from Kathmandu to Nepalgunj,
Bhairahawa and Biratnagar. Cosmic Air is operating two flights a day
between Kathmandu and Biratnagar while there are daily flights being operated
along Kathmandu-Bhairahawa and Kathmandu-Nepalgunj sectors. |
High
airfares hurt tourism |
October
2004
Airfares
to and from Nepal are keeping tourists away even if they are willing to
brave the negative publicity and come for a trekking holiday. For the price
of a roundtrip ticket from Osaka to Kathmandu, a Japanese tourist can fly
to Europe and back. Fares from Hong Kong to Nepal are more expensive than
from there to Los Angeles.
|
September
2004
Air
Sahara begins New Delhi flights |
Air
Sahara, one of India's leading private airlines, inaugurated its flight
to Kathmandu on 16 September 2004 after its 737-800 landed at Tribhuvan
International Airport in Kathmandu. The airline has chosen a special late-afternoon
departure slot with flights leaving New Delhi at 1315 (Indian time),
arriving in Kathmandu at 1455 (Nepali time) and turning around at 1600. |
Martinair
to resume flights |
Martinair,
from the Netherlands, will resume its flights from October 3, 2004. Martinair
directly flies from Amsterdam to Kathmandu. The resumption of Martinair
flight will send a positive signal to the international community that
Nepal is still a preferred destination. |
September
2004
Austrian
Airlines to resume flights |
Austrian
Airlines is to resume its operation in Nepal from September 16. Vienna-Kathmandu-Vienna
flights remain suspended from mid-May this year due to slump in tourism
thanks to the unending conflict.
The
Airlines is restarting the flights, twice a week, with its Airbus 340. |
New
international airlines will launch services to Nepal |
If
things go according to plan, two new international airlines will launch
services to Nepal within the next two months. Bangladesh GMG Airlines
and Phuket Airlines, a Thai private airlines, are set to operate flights
to Nepal.
Air
Nepal International is all set to begin its international operations
to the Middle East and Malaysia by the end of this year. The airline plans
to extend its operations to other destinations in the future. |
|
|
China
Eastern is interested in a direct Kathmandu-Beijing flight and Philippine
Airlines is negotiating a Manila stopover for flights to the US from Kathmandu.
|