Kathmandu, Oct 9: Domestic airlines have agreed to reduce airfares following government intervention after soaring ticket prices during the Dashain travel rush triggered public criticism.
The Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN) stepped in following intervention by Prime Minister Balen Shah. Under the agreement, airlines must also publicise discounted fares through their official sales and distribution platforms.
The move comes after fares on several domestic routes rose sharply amid high demand and disruption of road transportation following floods and landslides.
A one-way Kathmandu-Dhangadhi ticket had climbed as high as Rs 22,180, above CAAN’s maximum fare of Rs 21,600. On normal days, tickets on the route are available for around Rs 10,800. Airlines have attributed the increase to high demand and limited ticket availability.
The fare sparked criticism because flying from Kathmandu to Dhangadhi had become more expensive than travelling to some Indian cities. Kathmandu-Delhi tickets were available for around Rs 12,511, while fares to Varanasi were around Rs 17,000.
Travellers and consumer rights activists accused airlines of taking advantage of the Dashain rush. Social media users also criticized the sharp increases.
Amid the controversy, Buddha Air warned passengers against screenshots and airfare claims circulating on social media and some online news outlets that it said had been manipulated using Photoshop and artificial intelligence.
The airline said it was offering one-way Kathmandu-Dhangadhi tickets for Rs 10,800 in view of the disaster situation, adding that most flights were already fully booked because of strong demand for tickets at the minimum fare.
With floods and landslides disrupting highways, Buddha Air said it had introduced additional scheduled and charter flights at minimum fares to destinations where road travel remains difficult.
People’s News Monitoring Service
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