SANGAM PRASAIN
NOV 05 -
With the number of tourist arrivals increasing, domestic airline companies are doing brisk business this autumn. Almost all the domestic airlines have increased their flight movement in the major tourist destinations. Since October, there has been a surge in flight movement on the Lukla, Pokhara, Jomsom and Bharatpur sectors. Foreign tourists make up the major portion of the passengers during this season. According to recent statistics, Nepal recorded more than 62,000 arrivals in October, or more than 2,000 arrivals daily.
According to domestic air operators, flight movement on the Kathmandu-Lukla sector has swelled by 20 percent compared to the autumn season last year. Domestic airlines report making over 80 roundtrips daily between Kathmandu and Lukla, the gateway to Everest.
On Friday, Tara Air made 22 flights, Agni Air 15 flights and Sita Air four flights. According to the carriers, foreign tourists make up 90 percent of the passengers on the Lukla sector. “Our business has grown by 20 percent on the Lukla sector compared to autumn last year,” said Sailesh Shrestha, marketing chief of Agni Air. Autumn is one of the main seasons for business for airlines operating services on the Kathmandu-Lukla sector. Tara Air, Agni Air and Sita Air fly Twin Otter aircraft on their Lukla operations.
In terms of passenger movement, more than 600 tourists returning from Lukla to Kathmandu daily as the autumn season is coming to a close. Autumn is a popular trekking season. More than 30 percent of the tourists visiting Nepal go trekking in the Everest and Annapurna regions. Some of the most trodden trekking routes in the Everest region are Kalapatthar, Gokyo Lake, Everest Base Camp and Syangboche. Trekking in Nepal is an all season activity. However, the most popular seasons are spring (February-May) and autumn (September-November).
Other major tourist destinations like Pokhara, Jomsom and Bharatpur are also seeing greater flight movement these days. These three destinations attract a sizeable number of tourists during autumn.
The air operators say that flights between Kathmandu and Pokhara, Jomsom and Bharatpur have increased by 10-15 percent compared to the last autumn season, airline operators said.
Buddha Air has increased its frequency on the Pokhara sector to 10-12 flights daily from the usual five-six flights with the peak tourist season in full swing. “Flight movement on the Pokhara route has increased by 10-12 percent this autumn,” said Rupesh Joshi, marketing manager of Buddha Air. Agni Air and Guna Airlines operate three-four flights daily.
Pokhara attracts around 40 percent of the total number of tourists visiting Nepal. More than 70 percent of the tourists visiting Pokhara go trekking to Annapurna Base Camp and other trekking destinations. Last year, 203,527 tourists had visited Pokhara.
Travel traders said that they were encouraged that the country did not see any kinds of disturbances during the last seven months. Strikes, bandas and transport shutdowns have taken a heavy toll on tourism in previous years.
Hotels are reporting full bookings with the growth in tourist arrivals this year.
Tourism entrepreneurs said that business during the current tourist season was the highest in the year.
Monday, November 8, 2010
Fishtail chopper accident claims two
SANGAM PRASAIN
KATHMANDU, NOV 08 -
Three months after an Agni aircraft crashed, the Nepali sky witnessed yet another disaster on Sunday with a Fishtail Air chopper crashing in Mt. Ama Dablam range (6,812 m) in Solukhumbu district.
The accident took place at 9: 30 am when the chopper flown by Captain Sabin Basnet accompanied by engineer Purna Awale on a rescue mission in the range went out of control due to a sudden avalanche.
“The details are yet to be known,” said Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal’s Aviation Safety Department director Binod Giri. However, preliminary assessment says that the chopper was struck by an avalanche, he said.
Basnet, an experienced helicopter pilot with over 4,500 hours of flying various types of choppers and his his companion Awale were honoured by the Swiss Embassy in Nepal on June 3 for their humanitarian support and important role in retrieving the body of Swiss citizen Uwe Micha from the Everest South Col at 8000m in May 2010.
According to Sherpa & Swiss Adventure Pvt. Ltd that coordinated with Fishtail Air for the rescue mission of a Japanese and a German mountaineer stranded in the mountain, the chopper met with the accident in its second rescue attempt. It rescued the German mountaineer in the first turn.
Both the mountaineers were the clients of Thamserku Trekking and Expedition who lost their way while returning from the expedition.
“As they got lost they had no supplementary expedition equipment to return back. This led them to getting stranded in the mountain and caused health problems for them,” Lhakpa Gyalzen Sherpa, managing director of Sherpa and Swiss Adventure, told the Post.
Normally, expeditions in autumn run the risk of avalanches and few climbers ascend peaks in Nepal during this season.
“Autumn is a season for trekking but there are clients who are more adventurous and want to take the risk,” said Sherpa, who is also a rescue specialist.
Mt. Ama Dablam is a technically difficult mountain, where mountaineers normally prefer to climb for a warm-up to climb the world’s highest peak Mt. Everest. According to the Ministry of Tourism and Civil Aviation, 180 mountaineers ascended Mt. Ama Dablam in 2009 of which 177 mountaineers climbed in autumn.
Meanwhile, the bodies of Captain Sabin Basnet and engineer Purna Awale were brought to Kathmandu. Issuing a press statement, the CAAN said that the bodies have been sent for the post-mortem to Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital (TUTH) and would be handed over to their families.
KATHMANDU, NOV 08 -
Three months after an Agni aircraft crashed, the Nepali sky witnessed yet another disaster on Sunday with a Fishtail Air chopper crashing in Mt. Ama Dablam range (6,812 m) in Solukhumbu district.
The accident took place at 9: 30 am when the chopper flown by Captain Sabin Basnet accompanied by engineer Purna Awale on a rescue mission in the range went out of control due to a sudden avalanche.
“The details are yet to be known,” said Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal’s Aviation Safety Department director Binod Giri. However, preliminary assessment says that the chopper was struck by an avalanche, he said.
Basnet, an experienced helicopter pilot with over 4,500 hours of flying various types of choppers and his his companion Awale were honoured by the Swiss Embassy in Nepal on June 3 for their humanitarian support and important role in retrieving the body of Swiss citizen Uwe Micha from the Everest South Col at 8000m in May 2010.
According to Sherpa & Swiss Adventure Pvt. Ltd that coordinated with Fishtail Air for the rescue mission of a Japanese and a German mountaineer stranded in the mountain, the chopper met with the accident in its second rescue attempt. It rescued the German mountaineer in the first turn.
Both the mountaineers were the clients of Thamserku Trekking and Expedition who lost their way while returning from the expedition.
“As they got lost they had no supplementary expedition equipment to return back. This led them to getting stranded in the mountain and caused health problems for them,” Lhakpa Gyalzen Sherpa, managing director of Sherpa and Swiss Adventure, told the Post.
Normally, expeditions in autumn run the risk of avalanches and few climbers ascend peaks in Nepal during this season.
“Autumn is a season for trekking but there are clients who are more adventurous and want to take the risk,” said Sherpa, who is also a rescue specialist.
Mt. Ama Dablam is a technically difficult mountain, where mountaineers normally prefer to climb for a warm-up to climb the world’s highest peak Mt. Everest. According to the Ministry of Tourism and Civil Aviation, 180 mountaineers ascended Mt. Ama Dablam in 2009 of which 177 mountaineers climbed in autumn.
Meanwhile, the bodies of Captain Sabin Basnet and engineer Purna Awale were brought to Kathmandu. Issuing a press statement, the CAAN said that the bodies have been sent for the post-mortem to Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital (TUTH) and would be handed over to their families.
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