International Airfares Drop By 35 Percent In Nepal

International Airfares Drop By 35 Percent In Nepal
Bernam.com, 12-May-10

With the number of airlines connecting Nepal to different global destinations is increasing, travel agencies said the airfares have dropped by more than 30 to 35 percent this year, Xinhua news agency cited local media reported on Wednesday.

These agencies said that the growing number of airlines and travellers and increased flight frequency had triggered a massive price war.

Managing Director of DK Travel Dipendra Kumar Sharma was quoted by The Kathmandu Post daily as saying, that competition between airlines and their increased flight frequency had ultimately benefitted Nepali passengers.

He said that class airlines operating in the Middle East had slashed the price of their tickets from 25,000-30,000 Nepali rupees(some US$352 to US$422) just one year ago to 16,000-18,000 rupees (US$225 to US$253).

Sharma said that Qatar Airways had upped its weekly frequency from 11 flights to 21 flights.

While, Bahrain Air has increased its three weekly flights to seven. Air Arabia now flies 11 times a week compared to thrice previously, and Gulf Air operates 13 weekly flights against nine weekly flights before.

Etihad Airways has increased its flight frequency to seven per week from four. Likewise, other airlines have started adding flights with the ongoing competition.

Shyam Raj Thapaliya, managing director of Osho World Travel Nepal, said that airfares to the United States, Europe and China have also dropped significantly.