Solukhumbu: The disruption of flights at the Tenzing Hillary Airport in Lukla has stressed out tourists.
Adverse weather has disrupted flights for ten days. The tourists visiting the Khumbu region have been badly affected by the inconvenience in air service.
The air controller at the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN) at Lukla, Divas Dahal, informed that the fog and poor visibility disturbed air services. Both the aeroplanes and helicopters have not been able to conduct flights since June 8.
“It is the time the foreign tourists returned to Kathmandu after travelling to the Sagarmatha area. The number of tourists leaving the district is more than arrivals. But adverse weather took a toll on air service,” Dahal added. All flight schedules are cancelled for ten days. Thick fog has caused poor visibility.
However, Dahal informed that some helicopters were operated from Surke helipad located down Lukla. Geographical specificity is a problem for Lukla where dense fog occurs frequently this season, according to him.
Surke is relatively clear.
Similarly, after a four-hour trek down the Lukla airport, the travellers can get vehicles for Kathmandu. It is also an option for tourists to ride from Thamdanda to Kathmandu in a jeep.
Thamdanda lies 70 km away from Salleri Bazaar, the district headquarters of Solukhumbu.
Rs 2,000 per person is the fare for a jeep ride from Salleri to Kathmandu, a 275 km distance.
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