Frustrating flight delays

Flight delays are something we’ve all come to expect in Nepal. Whether it’s unpredictable weather, crowded skies, or poor infrastructure, delays are just part of life here. An hour or two of waiting feels almost normal now, and most of us have adjusted our schedules to accommodate these inevitable disruptions.  

For many, air travel is not just a convenience but a necessity. Yes, it’s expensive, but given Nepal’s mountainous terrain and terrible road conditions, flying is often the only realistic option for long-distance travel. On a map, Nepal might not look very big, but once you hit the roads, the rugged landscape and pothole-ridden highways can make even short trips feel like a grueling journey. In that sense, air travel is a lifeline—not just for tourists, but for locals as well. 

Flight delays are an all-too-common occurrence in Nepal, but they take on a different gravity when they happen at night due to lack of public buses to reach home

Things get more complicated when flights are delayed at night. Kathmandu, our federal capital, doesn’t have a dependable public transportation system to fall back on after dark. Even the city sponsored buses disappear by 8 PM, leaving passengers stranded at the airport with very few options to get home. If the capital city struggles with this basic necessity, it’s easy to imagine how much worse the situation must be in other cities.  

In recent years, ride-hailing services like inDrive and Pathao have stepped in to fill the gap, offering an alternative for late-night commuters. These platforms allow you to book a ride at a relatively affordable price—much cheaper than the sky-high fares charged by Kathmandu’s unregulated taxis. You can even hire two-wheelers, which are faster and more practical on the city’s narrow, congested streets. However, even these services are still more expensive than local buses, meaning not everyone in the city can afford to use them regularly.  

Before these ride-hailing apps became popular, bargaining with taxis were often the only option, and their rates were enough to make anyone think twice about going anywhere. With no government regulations to control pricing, getting a taxi could feel like paying a ransom. The rise of ride-sharing apps has made things easier, but for many, it’s still not an ideal solution.  

Nepal continues to frustrate travellers as the country still faces major challenges when it comes to infrastructure—both in air travel and urban mobility. The hope is that as the country grows, so will the systems we rely on to get where we need to go.