Flight Cancellation

Owning to its demanding geographical location and climatic variation, domestic flights in Nepal are mostly prone to flight delays and cancellations. As the Tribhuwan International Airport in Nepal doesn’t have the technology of Instrumental Landing System, adverse weather conditions like heavy rain, thick fog, strong winds, etc., may lead to flight delays and cancellation. Also, the topography of Nepal is challenging. Therefore it is safe not to take off the flight in those adverse weather conditions.

As you can know from the best trekking season section on our website, the autumn season (November- September) is the most preferred trekking season when the weather is dry, clear, and stable. At this time of year, flight delays and cancellation is infrequent. For other seasons, weather cannot be guaranteed. The monsoon season (June- August) is highly prone to flight delays and cancellations. The strong winds, rain, and patchy clouds make the view unclear. Also, in the winter season, flights may get canceled due to thick fog.

Therefore, if you are traveling to Nepal, it is recommended to apportion one or two days to spare if your flight gets canceled and you are short of the scheduled time. In other cases, road transportation can be an option. However, in the case of a flight to Lukla, you may have to change your entire schedule if you are short of time as there is no other option owning to its dramatic location.

(Note: Travel Insurance is highly recommended. In case of flight cancellation, if you are short of time and cannot catch your scheduled flight back in Kathmandu, NHT can charter a helicopter at your service. However, it would help bore the cost, which can later be claimed through the insurance company.)