Airline profits as Election demand boosts Domestic Flight occupancy
Kathmandu – The business of domestic airlines has experienced a significant boost with the distribution of tickets for the direct election of the House of Representatives. As election day nears, the influx of candidates and their teams has led to increased flight occupancy, benefiting airlines financially.
With the intensifying election activities, including campaigning, meetings, and organizational expansions, the demand for faster travel has risen. Air travel has become the primary mode of transport for party workers, election coordination teams, and party leaders. This surge in movement has resulted in a rise in passengers on flights between Kathmandu and various districts.
As election schedules get closer, business experts predict that the demand for flights will only continue to grow. After a period of reduced flight numbers due to adverse weather conditions in the Terai region, flights have started to fill up again with the improvement in weather. Airline officials attribute this increase in demand to both the election fervor and better weather conditions.
According to data from Tribhuvan International Airport, the number of flights has risen over the past few days. On January 3, there were 201 flights; January 4 saw 212, and January 5 recorded 218 landings. In comparison, just a week earlier, on December 28, only 188 flights were recorded. This growth in flight activity highlights the rising demand.
Helicopter flights have also seen a noticeable increase, with 11 helicopter landings on January 3, 21 on January 4, and 16 on January 5.
Tribhuvan Airport spokesperson Santosh Kumar Basnet confirmed the increase in domestic flights, attributing it to both the election atmosphere and the favorable weather. “It’s not just the election fervor; both the election season and weather improvements have contributed to the rise in flight numbers,” he said.
Shree Airlines spokesperson Anil Manandhar reported good flight occupancy across the country, noting that both inbound and outbound flights from Kathmandu are experiencing heavy passenger traffic. “Domestic flights are performing well nationwide, and with the increase in election-related activities and improved weather, occupancy rates are high,” he stated. “Flights are now fully booked, and as the election atmosphere intensifies, we expect even higher occupancy.”
Buddha Air spokesperson Dipendra Karn also confirmed that flights have been operating at full capacity in recent days. He added that the decline in passenger numbers seen earlier has now reversed, with the situation returning to its previous levels. “In the past three days, flights have been full again. While passenger numbers had dropped earlier, they are now back on track,” he said.
Industry experts believe that the ongoing election-related travel demand, coupled with favorable weather conditions, will continue to drive domestic air travel growth in the coming weeks.
