Solukhumbu, Nov 1: Flights at Tenzing-Hillary Airport in Lukla, the gateway to Mount Everest, have been suspended for three consecutive days due to persistent rain and dense fog. Water continues to flow on the runway, and visibility remains critically low.

According to Nawaraj Katuwal, Air Traffic Controller at the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal, Lukla, all flights have been grounded since Thursday following heavy rainfall. Normally, the airport handles over 60 flights daily during peak trekking seasons.

“Visibility is too poor for both airplanes and helicopters,” Katuwal said.

The suspension has left hundreds of tourists stranded from Lukla to Namche Bazaar, with hotels and lodges now fully occupied.

Tara Air’s Lukla in-charge, Amrit Magar, said around 1,500 tourists who had booked return flights are currently stuck in Lukla. “All hotels are full, and it’s difficult to find rooms for new arrivals,” he said.

Local resident Toya Kumar Shrestha noted that some tourists are now sleeping in hotel lobbies. Julie Marie, a French tourist who recently returned from Everest Base Camp, said, “We’ve been waiting for a flight for three days. The weather just won’t clear.”

In Namche Bazaar, the situation is similar. Lamakaji Sherpa, Chairperson of the Everest Pollution Control Committee, reported that about 1,200 tourists are stranded there as continuous rain and snowfall have hit the higher regions. “The occupancy rate in hotels has reached maximum capacity,” he added.

Tek Rai, a local, said Namche has not seen sunlight for four days, and stranded guests are spending time reading books and listening to music.

Some tourists are attempting to return to Kathmandu via Salleri by land, but those routes are also blocked. According to tourism entrepreneur Bal Darnal, heavy rainfall and multiple landslides have disrupted traffic along the Solukhumbu–Kathmandu road section, especially in Kavrepalanchowk and Sindhuli under the BP Highway.

Meteorologist Saroj Pudasaini from the Department of Hydrology and Meteorology in Kathmandu said the monsoon remains active, and rain and snowfall are likely to continue in the Koshi region and mountain areas for the next two to three days.