Nepali workers left without air tickets to come home
DINESH REGMI
DOHA (QATAR), SEP 18 - Many Nepali workers will have to stay back in Qatar during the Dashain festival this time around as all flight tickets have already been booked.
Mitra Bahadur Rana, 42, Rupandehi, who has not been able to celebrate the Dashain for last three years said that he has managed to book the air ticket for September 27 only since the tickets for flights before the Vijaya Dashami had already been packed.
"I have finished my shopping, but only today I received the ticket to Nepal," said Rana. "I will arrive in Kathmandu but I am not sure whether I will be able to make it to home or not for the Dashami Tika on Sept. 28."
Rana four other friends are not sure of their flights to Kathmandu, though. "My company has assured to provide ticket for September 28," said Surendra Kandel of Lekhnath, Kaski. "Even if I manage to fly on that day, I will not be able to reach home on time for the Tika," lamented Kandel.
As the festive season comes around the corner, the numbers of Nepalis workers leaving for home have are increasing creating shortage of air tickets. The demand of air tickets has increased significantly because of nearing festivals -- Dahsian, Tihar, Chhath, and Ramzan.
The other reason for the increased demand is the Fourth World Conference of the Non-Resident Nepalis (NRN), which is scheduled to be held in between Dashain and Tihar in Kathmandu.
"Many potential buyers were forced to return empty-handed as we could not provide them with air tickets," said Bimal Subedi of Deluxe Travel in Doha.
Following the increasing demand for air tickets, flight tickets of almost all the airlines flying Qatar - Kathmandu have been packed.
About 50 flights operate between Kathmandu and Qatar every week. Nepal Airlines, Qatar Airways, Gulf Air, Air Arabia, Bahrain Air, Etihad Airways and Jet Airways have been operating flights to Nepal.
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