SANGAM

Passenger traffic at TIA up 24pc in Q1
SANGAM PRASAIN
KATHMANDU, JUL 20 - Passenger movement through Kathmandu’s Tribhuvan Intern-ational Airport swelled by 24 percent in the first quarter of 2010 compared to the same period last year.

According to the TIA Civil Aviation Office, the number of air travellers reached 574,078 in the review period compared to 462,965 in the same period last year.

In January 2010, 25 international airlines carried 188,037 passengers compared to 151,384 in January 2009 carried by 18 international airlines.

In February, the number of international passengers was 180,068 (145,601 in 2009), and in March there were 205,973 international travellers (165,980 in 2009).

Inbound and outbound flight movement went up to 4,372 during this first three months
of 2010 against 3,708 in the same period last year.

Qatar Airlines carried 60,789 passengers during the first quarter. Jet Airways took the second place with 57,664 passengers and Nepal Airlines Corporation (NAC) came third with 54,266 passengers.

Gulf Air carried 52,372 passengers to claim the fourth position while Thai Airways International came fifth with 48,382 passengers. Bhola Bikram Thapa, managing director of President Travel & Tours, said the airline business was becoming more and more competitive. With more international airlines linking Nepal, airfares have also decreased significantly.

“The airline business is all about demand and supply; and as per the growing demand, international airlines are seeing higher passenger occupancy and are doing good business,” he added.

Greater passenger movement has made airlines increase their frequency and new airlines to enter the scene, bringing the number of international airlines serving Nepal to 25. While airlines are revelling in the increased number of air travellers, TIA is having a hard time handling the rising number of flights.

TIA general manager Dinesh Shrestha said that the airport had started operating a new parking bay. TIA now has nine parking bays.

“Increased in the airlines number is positive however it is also challenging to handle the traffic,” he said.

He added that new airlines would not be allowed to operate flights and the existing carriers would not be allowed to add flights in the day due to traffic congestion.

“We have requested them to operate during the evening.”



Major int’l airlines’ passengers’ movement

Airlines 2009(Jan-Mar) 2010(Jan-Mar)

Qatar Airlines 42,587 60,789

Jet Airways 39,010 57,664

Nepal Airlines 56,692 54,266

Gulf Air 63,381 52,372

Thai Airways 46,271 48,382

Air India 43,766 45,634

Air Arabia 29,935 40,434

Etihad Airlines 21,256 31,934

Jet Lite 24,811 27,621

Biman Bangladesh 19,089 26,670

Source: TIA