Kathmandu, December 6
The airfare from Nepal to India, particularly on the Kathmandu-Delhi route, has experienced a significant surge in prices over the past few weeks. Recently, attempts to purchase tickets revealed unavailability on the ticketing platform ticketbhandar.com.
The minimum fare for Thursday has skyrocketed to Rs 46,095, while ticket prices for Friday are priced at Rs 31,730.
Looking ahead to the following week, ticket prices have surged to a minimum of Rs 18,000 to Rs 20,000. This starkly contrasts with previous times when tickets to New Delhi were available for as low as Rs 8,000 to Rs 10,000. The sudden spike in airfare has led to concerns about the accessibility and affordability of travel on this route.
Travel operators said ticket prices on the Kathmandu-Delhi route had skyrocketed due to the tourist season.
Kedar Dawadi, the Managing Director of Gorkha Vision Travels, said during Nepal’s tourist season, there is a substantial influx of tourists from India. With many now returning to India, the price has gone up substantially on the Kathmandu-Delhi route.
He further noted that, given India’s extensive network of connecting flights to various countries, Nepali travellers heading abroad have increasingly opted for the Indian route as a convenient and well-connected pathway to their international destinations.
“This is been another reason for the price increase,” said Dawadi.
Nepal Airlines spokesperson Ramesh Paudel says that tickets are priced according to demand and supply.
“Usually the ticket for India remains in the same range. However, if the demand is high, it will naturally become more expensive,” he said.
