Buddha Air has increased flights between Bharatpur and Kathmandu following damage to sections of Nepal’s Prithvi Highway, resulting in a demand for air travel as passengers seek alternatives to disrupted road transport. The airline that normally operates five daily flights on the route has since doubled its daily operations to about nine to 11 flights per day.
Demand Rises as Road Travel Becomes Difficult
According to Bhakta Bahadur Basnet, head of Buddha Air’s Bharatpur office, travellers have increasingly turned to air travel after road conditions deteriorated during the monsoon season. An alternative route through Makwanpur remains available, but many passengers have opted to fly instead.
“With the roads disrupted by a natural disaster, we are in a situation where we have to create an air bridge,” Basnet said.
The airline, which normally operates five flights a day on the route, has more than doubled its schedule to between nine and 11 flights daily depending on demand. Buddha Air operates ATR 72 aircraft on the service; due to the runway length at Bharatpur Airport, the aircraft cannot fly at full capacity, typically carrying between 65 and 70 passengers on arrivals from Kathmandu and around 50 passengers on departures to the capital.
Regional Airport Sees Increased Importance
The surge in demand has highlighted Bharatpur Airport’s growing role in serving travellers from neighbouring districts, including Nawalparasi, Gorkha, Tanahun, Lamjung and Makwanpur. Buddha Air said the additional flights have helped ease travel difficulties caused by the highway disruption.
With road conditions remaining challenging in some areas, air travel is expected to stay an important transport option for passengers travelling between central Nepal and Kathmandu in the coming weeks.
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