Tourists Stranded in Lukla and Namche as Bad Weather Grounds Flights

Flights to and from Lukla have been suspended for three consecutive days due to continuous rain and poor visibility, leaving hundreds of tourists stuck in hotels across the Everest region.

Nawaraj Katuwal, Air Traffic Controller at Lukla, told the state-run RSS news agency that poor visibility had prevented all aircraft operations since Thursday.

“Visibility is very low due to the rain,” Katuwal said.

Lukla Airport was handling around 60 flights daily, on average, this season. But persistent rain and low clouds have now disrupted the flow of trekkers returning from the Khumbu region.

Hotels from Lukla to Namche Bazaar are packed with stranded tourists, many of whom were preparing to leave after completing their treks.

According to Amrit Magar, Tara Air’s Lukla in-charge, about 1,500 tourists holding Tara Air tickets are currently stuck in Lukla.

Local resident Toyakumar Shrestha said some hotels had run out of rooms and were accommodating guests in lobbies.

Julie Marie, a French tourist who returned to Lukla three days ago after visiting Everest Base Camp, said she had been waiting for a flight. “But there is none in sight,” she said.

Namche Bazaar, another popular stop for trekkers, is facing similar overcrowding. Lama Kaji Sherpa, chairman of the Everest Pollution Control Committee, estimated that around 1,200 tourists were stranded in Namche alone.

Some travellers have tried to return to Kathmandu by land through Salleri. However, continuous rain has triggered landslides, making the Solukhumbu–Kathmandu road increasingly dangerous.
Tourism entrepreneur Bal Darnal confirmed that road travel had been severely affected at multiple points along the route.

Meteorologists had earlier expected the weather to improve from Saturday, but conditions remain unstable.

“There is a possibility of rain in the mountainous and hilly areas, including Koshi Province, for another two to three days,” said Saroj Pudasaini of the Department of Hydrology and Meteorology. “After that, the weather is likely to gradually clear.”

(With inputs from RSS)