Nepalese passenger traffic slips 30%
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Last year was a bumper year for domestic air travel in Nepal, but with rising fuel prices and airfares, de facto passenger numbers are already down 30% in 2011, though official lines dispute that claim. Nepal saw a 12.8% yoy growth in domestic air passenger traffic last year, with local airlines carrying a total of 1,554,701 passengers according to the Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA). Similarly, domestic aircraft movement rose by 4.83% in 2010 as compared to 2009. Altogether the carriers operated 79,874 flights in 2010, up 3,683 from 2009. At present, eight domestic airlines and five helicopter companies are operating services from Kathmandu. But domestic air operators say that they may not be able to grow their business in 2011 due to a massive hike in fuel prices. With the increased airfares, the number of domestic air passengers is therefore expected to decrease this year. “The year 2010 was good year for all the airlines,” said Rupesh Joshi, Buddha Air’s marketing manager. However, he voiced concern that the number of air passengers decreased by 30-35% in the last quarter due to increased airfares. Meanwhile, officials at the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN) said that domestic passengers’ movement is projected to increase by 10% annually.
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