SANGAM

International airfares down 30pc

SANGAM PRASAIN

KATHMANDU, MAY 12 - With the number of airlines connecting Nepal to different global destinations increasing, airfares have dropped by more than 30-35 percent in a year.

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

Similarly, the airfare gap between class and budget airlines has also come down significantly.

Dipendra Kumar Sharma, managing director of DK Travel and Tour, said that competition between

airlines and their increased flight frequency had ultimately benefited Nepali passengers.

He added that class airlines operating in the Middle East had slashed the price of their tickets from Rs. 25,000-30,000 just one year ago to Rs. 16,000-18,000.

Similarly, airfares of budget airlines connecting Nepal and the Middle East have come down from Rs. 18,000-20,000 to Rs. 13,000-15,000

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

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.

Etihad Airways, Fly Dubai, Air Arabia, Bahrain Air, Kingfisher Airlines and GMG Airlines started operations in Nepal a few years ago.

However, airfares to Toronto (Canada) have increased by more than 15 to 20 percent in the past six months. Tickets now cost Rs. 107,000 compared to Rs. 92,000 one year ago.

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

“However, the small number of passengers and airlines flying to Canada has increased the airfare compared to one year ago,” Thapaliya said.

Travel traders said that competition had compelled airlines to reduce fares. Similarly, new carriers are selling their tickets cheap to gain an entry into the market.

They added that airfares on the Kathmandu-Delhi sector had fallen significantly.

However, low aircraft movement on the Kathmandu-Mumbai sector has kept fares high despite a mar-ginal drop.

Currently, there are 25 airlines connecting Nepal with different worldwide destinations.