SAMITI SIMKOT, NOVEMBER 14

Scores of passengers, including students, leaving Humla district for their destinations have been stranded as they have been struggling to book air tickets. As a result, students who are scheduled to return to their destinations for their studies after completing their festival vacations have been hardest hit.

Humla, which is yet to be connected to the national road network, relies on air transport to travel to other parts of the country. Air ticket agents belonging to private airlines in the district have been blamed for selling tickets arbitrarily, thus causing shortage of air tickets.

Bishnu Rawal of Kharpunath-1 in the district complained that he failed to book air ticket for himself since one week despite continuous efforts.

“I fear because of this, I will miss my examination scheduled for November 17.”

He said that he showed recommendations from the district administration office requesting the respective airline to manage an air ticket for him, but to no avail. Private airlines – Sita, Summit and Tara – have been operating flights from the district. Sita Airlines has been unable to run its flight from the district since one week as its aircraft has broken down, it has been said. In case of other airlines, their ticket agents have been selling tickets arbitrarily, thus leading to a shortage of air tickets, passengers allege. But, local people’s representatives and concerned authorities have been unaware of it.

A version of this article appears in the print on November 15, 2021, of The Himalayan Times.