Mustang airlines prioritize foreign tourists over locals amid road disruption

KATHMANDU: Local authorities in Mustang have mandated that private airlines prioritize Nepali passengers on flights following reports that carriers were refusing to sell tickets to locals in favor of foreign tourists. The directive comes as heavy rains have destroyed road networks, leaving air travel as the only viable link between Mustang and the provincial capital, Pokhara.

Assistant Chief District Officer Eknarayan Bhandari stated that airlines have been acting in a profit-driven manner, ignoring the needs of patients, the elderly, and those in urgent need of travel. Under the new rules issued by the district disaster management committee, airlines must now reserve at least two seats for Nepali citizens on every flight departing from Jomsom. The administration is currently screening passengers to ensure that those in critical need receive priority for these seats.