Kathmandu-Dhangadhi Flights Fully Booked Ahead of Dashain; Some Seats Expected Tuesday

Dhangadhi: Tickets on the Kathmandu-Dhangadhi air route have become unavailable as Dashain approaches. Despite six daily flights—four operated by Shree Airlines and two by Buddha Air—passengers are struggling to secure tickets.

According to Buddha Air’s Dhangadhi manager, Budharam Chaudhary, tickets have already been fully booked through the day of Dashain Tika. He attributed the surge in passenger demand to the decision to maintain minimum fare rates from the time of the Rasuwa floods through the Chhath festival.

"We had set minimum fare rates from the Rasuwa floods period until Chhath," Chaudhary said. "That is why flights leading up to Dashain are already booked." He noted that on the 70-seat aircraft, almost all passengers, except for a few, paid the fare of NPR 10,800 to secure their tickets.

Meanwhile, Gajendra Shahi, the Dhangadhi in-charge for Shree Airlines, said tickets were booked through Monday. He informed Dineshkhabar that some seats would be available starting Tuesday.

Shree Airlines has set the Kathmandu-Dhangadhi fare at NPR 16,000 for the period from Monday through Kartik 1. After that, the fare will be NPR 10,800.

Residents of Sudurpaschim, who are already compelled to pay high airfares under normal circumstances, face an additional financial burden during the festive season. The difficulty in obtaining tickets has further complicated travel plans for passengers hoping to return home for Dashain.