Nepal is mulling the option of opening the international scheduled passenger flights in a bid to slowly lift the travel ban on foreign visitors and ease the movement of Nepalis, who have been paying high airfares on chartered flights.

Tourism Ministry Secretary Kedar Bahadur Adhikari told the Post that the government is assessing whether to allow regular commercial flights instead of repatriation charter flights.

“The deadline for repatriation charter flights will end on July 12. Right now, we are assessing both options—allowing regular passenger flights or continuing the chartered flights,” he said, adding that a decision will be made soon. “We have to decide before July 12.”

Adhikari said that they would also consult with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs regarding the opening up of international passenger flights. “A decision, however, will hinge on the severity of the pandemic in the coming days.”

Nearly 150 chartered flights have been operated in over a month, bringing around 22,000 Nepalis from different countries.