"Tourists do not feel safe' Deadly air crashes cast long shadow
The Guardian Weekly|July 28, 2023
Fear, anxiety and resignation stalk Nepal's domestic airports. Norwegian tourist Waldemar Wergeland is relieved to have landed safely at Kathmandu's domestic terminal.
Pete Pattisson, Praveen Yadav
"Tourists do not feel safe' Deadly air crashes cast long shadow

He admitted he was worried about flying in Nepal. "We did a lot of research before we made up our minds to travel by air," he said.

In the city of Siddharthanagar (also known as Bhairahawa), Nepali folk singer Alif Khan said he stopped taking flights to his performances after a recent deadly air accident. "I started travelling by bus, but I got frustrated by the long traffic jams and landslides on the way. So even though I'm scared, I've started flying again," he said.

Nepal has a reputation as one of the world's most dangerous places to fly. All Nepali airlines have been banned from operating in EU airspace since 2013 due to safety concerns.

The country's air safety record was in the spotlight again this month, when a helicopter on a sightseeing trip to Mount Everest crashed as it returned to Kathmandu, killing all on board: five Mexican tourists and the Nepali pilot. It was the fourth helicopter to crash this year.

This story is from the July 28, 2023 edition of The Guardian Weekly.

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This story is from the July 28, 2023 edition of The Guardian Weekly.

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