International airlines add flights to Kathmandu

Increased demand has forced Gulf Air to add more flights to Kathmandu.
Last week, Qatar Airways has also announced the addition of flights to Kathmandu from October 1, due to increased demand.
Gulf Air — Bahrain’s national carrier — as part of its new winter schedule beginning November 1, is increasing its flights to Kathmandu from 12 to 14 per week. According to new schedule it will have two flights daily for more convenient onward connectivity through Bahrain’s efficient hub to Europe and the GCC.
Similarly, Qatar Airways has also increased its flights frequency on Doha-Kathmandu route from October 1. According to the airlines, from next month the airlines will operate four flights a day between Doha and Kathmandu. “It will give a wider choice to passenger from Nepal to travel their final destinations in Europe, North America, South America, Africa and Arabian Gulf countries,” Qatar Airway’s country manager for Nepal Ramdas Shivram, said, adding that the airlines has also brought a very exiting value for money offers to passengers. The offer will be valid for a limited time period, said the Qatar Airways that has bagged World’s Best Airline 2011 award in June is growing on an average of 35 per cent annually.
“Gulf Air’s Kathmandu flight has been increased to 14 flights per week to meet increasing commercial demand on the route,” Gulf Air commercial manager for Nepal Renji Thomas said, adding that it has carried more than 82,000 passengers to and from Kathmandu at a consistent 80 per cent seat load factor. But the airlines is hopeful of an increase in demand in future.
Gulf will initially operate an Airbus A320 to Nepal replacing it with a larger A330 during the peak season.