KATHMANDU: Nepal Airlines Corporation (NAC) charged an exorbitant airfare to Nepali people who flew to Hong Kong on Monday night.
Nepali people who came to Nepal and got stuck here due to lockdown said they had to pay almost the double the usual airfare while returning to Hong Kong.
According to Tika Gurung, president of Non Resident Nepali Association (NRNA), Hong Kong they were forced to pay from Rs 85,000 to Rs 100,000 against Rs 35,000 in airfare.
Among 1,400 Hong Kong ID holders, 587 retuned to Hong Kong in three flights of NAC planes yesterday.
According to Devendra KC, General Manager at the Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA), NAC conducted three chartered flights – via two narrow bodies and one wide body –on Monday evening.
Hong Kong-based Sunrise Travels had chartered a wide body airbus and Kathmandu-based Harvest Moon Travels Agency had chartered two narrow body aircraft, said sources.
The two narrow body aircraft carried 310 passengers (155 each) while the wide body aircraft carried 273 to Hong Kong.
Those flying back to Hong Kong were from Jhapa, Dharan, Sunsari, Chitwan, Bhairahawa, Pokhara, Myagdi. They had come to Kathmandu by reserving a bus.
This was the first chartered flight to Hong Kong taken place 77 days after the lockdown began.
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