Janakpur-Lukla alternative flights grounded, tourists diverted to west

Kathmandu, October 3 — The Everest flights initiated from Janakpur as an alternative to Ramechhap Airport have failed within two days. After the road from Kathmandu to Manthali was damaged, Janakpur was chosen as an alternative to reach Lukla and Phaplu, the gateways to Mount Everest Base Camp. However, due to tourist dissatisfaction and inconvenience, this option has proven unviable, said Bishnu Lamsal, Vice Chair of the Trekking Agencies' Association of Nepal (TAAN).

Currently, the BP Highway from Kathmandu to Manthali is blocked, with nearly three kilometers of road collapsed at various points. Under these circumstances, one must travel through Khadichaur and Charikot to reach Manthali. What used to take four hours to reach Manthali now takes at least eight hours via this route. Parts of this road are also blocked due to landslides, which led to the flights starting from Janakpur.

On the day the flights began on Tuesday, Tara Air transported passengers on two trips. On Wednesday, five trips were made to Lukla. Summit and Sita Air decided not to operate flights from this route. However, due to extreme chaos in Janakpur, trekking companies have stopped sending tourists there.

Crowds of passengers and hotel issues

During the Dashain festival, flights from Kathmandu are typically full. Additionally, with landslides blocking the overland routes, the pressure has increased. In such conditions, flying to Janakpur was a challenge for tourists. Many faced issues such as not being able to secure tickets or experiencing delays in their flights.

The most significant problem in Janakpur has been the lack of hotel accommodations, according to Lamsal. “After facing problems reaching Manthali, we communicated with airlines to find new alternatives. However, foreigners have had issues finding places to stay in Janakpur,” he said. “With inadequate hotels and facilities, we have stopped sending tourists from today; this option has shown in two days that it’s not viable.”

Following the issues in Janakpur, TAAN sent member Furpu Chiring Lomi (Bhotey) to assess the condition of the new road to Manthali. Although the new route is longer, it was deemed safer for transporting tourists, TAAN reported. Lomi arrived in Manthali in seven hours.

However, using the new road is expected to double the travel costs to Manthali. Previously, vehicles could make round trips to Kathmandu in one day, but now they must stay in Manthali overnight and return the next day, leading to increased fares, said the Nepal Tourist Transport Entrepreneurs Association.

Tourists diverted westward

Due to adverse conditions caused by landslides, tourists who had planned to visit Everest Base Camp have been diverted westward. Following news of the road conditions and tourists stranded in Lukla, they have shifted to western trekking routes, Lamsal noted.

“Tourists who came to go to Everest are stuck in Kathmandu for four to five days,” Lamsal stated. “Those with less time are opting not to go to Everest and are making plans to head towards Pokhara and Annapurna. Meanwhile, those who have sufficient time are waiting to go to Everest.” Currently, the eastern region is experiencing more active monsoon conditions compared to the western region. This has also prompted tourists targeting Everest to head west, as this route is comparatively shorter.