Source::The Kathmandu Post
While Nepal's domestic aviation sector is having an unexpected boom due to the lowering of airline ticket prices, the international aviation sector has not been so lucky. Case in point, Tribhuvan International Airport has just announced a 65% drop in passenger load from 2019.
In 2021, 1.44 million international visitors have gone through the airport, while a bit better than 2020, pales in comparison to the 4.3 million visitors in 2019, a 65.11 per cent drop. Aircraft movement has also been greatly affected with only 11,760 takeoffs and landings, constituting a plunging drop of 63.74 per cent.
These numbers, reported from 28 carriers, have shown the international airport's lowest numbers in 15 years, showing the severe impact of COVID-19. While domestic airports have been able to keep their load high with over 90% occupancy rate and the historic high of 3.5 million domestic travellers, the international aviation scene has been a lot more affected.
The Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN) has reported that the first lockdown alone, from March 24, 2020, to June 1, 2021, has cost the international aviation industry Rs 37 billion. Thus, many workers and employees have been laid off, furloughed or have felt pay cuts in their balance.
And with the new Omicron variant going through Nepal along with new restrictions in travel being implemented, many experts have speculated that the recovery period for Nepal's aviation sector might take several years to reach pre-pandemic levels.
