Ramechhap airport and Lukla flights: what agents must know

Almost every Everest region programme we operate depends on one short flight into Lukla. For many seasons now, that flight has not left from Kathmandu but from Ramechhap airport, at Manthali, a road journey of several hours east of the capital. Clients who expected a quick hop from Kathmandu are often surprised to learn they will be woken in the small hours for a long drive before they even reach the airstrip. This guide explains why Lukla flights move to Ramechhap, what the day actually looks like, how weather delays play out, and how we build buffers and backups into the programmes we run for overseas agents.

Why do Lukla flights leave from Ramechhap instead of Kathmandu?

The short answer is congestion at Tribhuvan International Airport in Kathmandu, the country's main airport. The Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN) has repeatedly moved regular Lukla flights to Manthali airport in Ramechhap district during the busy trekking seasons to ease congestion at the capital's airport.

There is also an operational gain for the airlines. Manthali is much closer to Lukla than Kathmandu is, so the flights are shorter and each aircraft can fit more rotations into the short morning window. In autumn 2025 CAAN's Ramechhap office reported between 50 and 65 flights a day on good-weather days.

The pattern has repeated over several years:

Season	What happened	Reported by
2019	Lukla flights moved to Manthali from April, linked to works at Kathmandu airport; by November the airport handled about 85 flights a day with very basic passenger facilities	The Kathmandu Post
Autumn 2022	Regular Lukla flights moved from Kathmandu to Manthali from 1 October to ease congestion at Tribhuvan	The Himalayan Times
Autumn 2023	Lukla flights from Ramechhap disrupted by weather; stranded travellers used Phaplu as an alternative	The Himalayan Times
Autumn 2024	Tara Air scheduled Ramechhap to Lukla flights from 20 September, with regular Manthali flights until 15 December	Onlinekhabar English
Autumn 2025	Ramechhap to Lukla service resumed for the trekking season, with 50 to 65 flights a day in good weather	Tourism Info Nepal

The practical rule for agents is simple: in spring and autumn, assume your clients will fly from Ramechhap unless we confirm otherwise. Outside those months, some flights may still run from Kathmandu, but the routing is set by the airlines and CAAN season by season, so we confirm it when we issue the tickets.

Where is Ramechhap airport and how long is the drive?

Ramechhap airport sits in Manthali municipality, in the Tamakoshi river valley, at an elevation of about 474 m. It is a small domestic airport with a short runway that now serves the light twin-engine aircraft flying to Lukla. It is often called Manthali airport, and you will see both names on tickets and in the press.

The road distance from Kathmandu is around 130 km. The Kathmandu Post gave 132 km and about five hours in 2019, and more recent reports describe a drive of about four to five hours. Because Lukla flights are scheduled early in the day, the drive usually leaves Kathmandu in the middle of the night. Some operators instead drive the afternoon before and stay overnight near Manthali, but accommodation there is limited and the better hotels are often booked up by airline staff in peak season, so this needs to be arranged well in advance.

Facilities at the airport have historically been basic. In 2019 the Kathmandu Post described passengers waiting along the fence with few chairs and no proper restaurant. We brief clients to bring warm layers, snacks, water and patience for the wait.

Why are Lukla flights so often delayed?

Lukla's Tenzing-Hillary Airport sits at about 2,846 m on a short, steep runway that only small short-take-off aircraft and helicopters can use. Flights operate in daylight and only in good visual conditions. Strong winds usually pick up from mid to late morning, so the airport often closes for fixed-wing traffic well before midday. A sudden loss of visibility at Lukla, at Manthali or anywhere along the route can stop flights at short notice.

Weather delays are not rare events. They happen almost every season, and they can last several days:

• In October 2022 flights to Lukla were halted for five days; on the day they restarted, Tara Air, Summit Air and Sita Air operated 25 flights, 23 of them from Ramechhap.
• In October 2023 flights were disrupted for five days in a row, and some travellers flew to Phaplu instead, then continued by helicopter or on foot.
• In October 2024 the Kathmandu Post reported a week of weather cancellations, after which 1,155 tourists landed in Lukla in a single day, 575 by plane and 580 by helicopter.

When a backlog builds, the passengers already booked for the following days also need seats, so a group that loses its morning slot may wait more than one extra day before it flies. This is why buffer days matter more than anything else in an Everest itinerary.

What are the backup options when flights do not operate?

There are three realistic options, and none is free or guaranteed.

Wait for the next flight

This is the default and the cheapest option. It works when the itinerary has spare days. Without spare days it means shortening the trek, which usually means cutting acclimatisation, and we do not recommend that.

Charter a helicopter

Helicopters can sometimes operate when fixed-wing flights cannot, and they can fly from Kathmandu, Ramechhap or other points. During the October 2024 backlog, 580 of the 1,155 tourists who reached Lukla in one day arrived by helicopter. Helicopters still need flyable weather, though, and in prolonged bad spells operators have reported that arranging them was harder than ever. Helicopter seats are charged per seat or per charter and are not included in a standard trek price. We quote this on request at the time; please confirm the current cost with us before quoting it to a client.

Go by road

The road network has pushed further into Solukhumbu. A dirt road of about 64 km from Salleri to Surke, near Lukla, was inaugurated in January 2025, and the Kathmandu Post reported that the Salleri to Surke stretch then took around eight hours by jeep. It is a long, rough journey, best treated as a fallback for clients with time, not a planned route. Some stranded travellers have also flown to Phaplu, then continued by jeep, on foot or by helicopter.

How should you brief clients before they travel?

A well-briefed client handles a delay calmly; a surprised client writes a complaint. These are the points we ask partner agents to make clear at the time of booking, not at the airport:

1. The flight may leave from Ramechhap. In peak months this means a night-time road transfer of several hours before the flight. Say so in the itinerary and the pre-departure notes.
2. Delays are normal. The airline cannot fly in poor visibility or strong wind, and nobody can promise a departure time.
3. Baggage is strictly limited. Lukla flights have a much lower allowance than international flights, and excess baggage is charged by weight. Clients should pack a separate bag to leave at the Kathmandu hotel. We confirm the current airline allowance with the tickets.
4. Insurance must fit the trip. Clients need cover for trekking at the altitudes on their route, including helicopter evacuation, and ideally for travel delay.
5. Helicopter backups cost extra. Agree in advance how a helicopter upgrade will be approved and paid for if the client wants one.

For travel agents: how to package it

What to include

• Return Lukla flights with the expected routing (Ramechhap or Kathmandu) stated, plus the private road transfer to Manthali and back.
• A licensed guide and porters, the local Everest region permits and tea house accommodation for every night on the trail. The Khumbu uses its own local permit rather than the TIMS card; our TIMS card guide explains the difference.
• Hotel nights in Kathmandu either side of the trek, with flexibility to move dates if flights change.

Buffers

• At least one spare day, and preferably two in October, between the return from Lukla and the international flight.
• A soft day in Kathmandu that can be used for sightseeing if the flight runs on time, so the client never feels the buffer was wasted.

Who it suits

Everest itineraries suit clients with time, fitness and the temperament to accept that the mountains set the schedule. Clients with a fixed, short window are often better served by an Annapurna trek, which starts by road from Pokhara. Our comparison of Everest and Annapurna sets out how we match the region to the client.

Upsells

• A pre-arranged helicopter return from Lukla for clients who want certainty at the end of the trek.
• Kathmandu Valley heritage days or a Chitwan extension from our tours, which also double as buffer days.
• For clients ready for more, a trekking peak from our climbing and expeditions programme.

For booking lead times, see our planning timeline for agents, and browse current routes on our trekking page. Common questions on permits and logistics are answered in our FAQ.

How do we handle Lukla logistics for partner agents?

From the Kathmandu desk, we book the flights, arrange the Manthali transfer, track the weather and the airline queue each morning, and keep the agent informed when a delay starts to affect the itinerary. If a backlog builds, we tell you the options and the cost before anything is committed, so you can speak to your client with clear facts. To receive net rates and sample Everest itineraries with realistic buffers, become a partner and our operations team will build the programme around your client's dates.