Over 1,300 tourists stranded in Manthali amid weather disruptions

Solukhumbu, October 15 — Due to adverse weather conditions, flights at Tenzing Hillary Airport in Lukla, Solukhumbu have been suspended for the past two days. The Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN) in Lukla informed that no flights have been able to take off since Monday due to changes in weather.

According to ATC Officer Bibas Dahal, around 800 tourists arrived in Lukla on 90 flights on Sunday, but no flights have operated since then. Continuous foggy weather has disrupted flights, causing problems for tourists visiting the Everest region. “Tourists heading to Lukla are also stranded in Manthali, and some have been reported stuck in Kathmandu as well. The adverse weather has led to the disruption of flights, resulting in tourists being stranded,” he stated.

With flights affected, helicopters bringing tourists have reportedly been landing in Surke, a bit below Lukla. Heron Shah, head of the CAAN office in Manthali, informed that around 1,300 foreign tourists heading to Lukla have been stuck in the area for two days.

As a result of the flight disruptions, stranded tourists are planning to head towards Khumbu via road from Salleri, Solukhumbu, while some are traveling by helicopter to Surke.

The authority noted that there are typically 55 to 60 flights daily from Manthali Airport during the tourist season. In the autumn, tourists typically travel to the Everest Base Camp trekking route via Kathmandu and Manthali Airport.