KATHMANDU CHAOS

The Nepalese capital's shambolic main airport is a perfect case study in how to deter visitors, writes Simon Calder

- Simon Calder

In the days of the Hippie Trail, Kathmandu was six weeks away from the UK by Magic Bus - a fun and fume-filled vehicle calling at Istanbul, Tehran and Kabul. The happy hippies discovered an indulgent and intriguing city, the welcoming Nepali people and the prospect of trekking in the world’s highest mountain range.

These days the overland journey through Iran and Afghanistan is a tougher proposition. Instead, most travellers fly in. The nation needs all the tourists it can get right now, to rebuild after devastating floods earlier in the year. Yet at the height of the trekking season, Nepal’s Civil Aviation Authority is making life extremely difficult for people to get in – and out.

The nation’s main airport, Kathmandu (KTM), has just started to close each night from 10pm to 8am until the end of March 2025. The aim is to improve the layout of taxiways and add muchneeded capacity.