Buddha Air, for instance, which used to operate five flights per day between Kathmandu and Pokhara, operated only two flights on Wednesday and Thursday because of rain.[break]
"We were planning to operate four flights on Wednesday and Thursday but could not due to weather condition," Gautam Baral, Pokhara station manager of Buddha Air, said.
According to Baral, most of the cancelled flights were scheduled to fly in the first half of the day.
Likewise, Yeti Airlines operated only three flights each on Wednesday and Thursday as against five daily scheduled flights.
Agni Air, too, has already reduced the number of scheduled flights with the advent of monsoon. "We now fly only once to Kathmandu from Pokhara, down from three flights per day in normal period," Rijan Rijal, Pokhara station manager of Agni Air, said. However, the airline was not able to operate a single flight on Wednesday and Thursday because of bad weather.
Airlines are already bracing for the loss of passengers to buses and taxis as those who cancel their air tickets travel by road.
"In the last two days, almost half of the people who had reservation with Buddha Air have cancelled their air tickets after learning about the cancellation of flights," Baral said. "Most people hire vehicles to travel to Kathmandu. Even foreigners are doing the same."
As a result, Buddha Air was forced to use 18-seater aircraft on Thursday instead of its 47-seater.
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