Kathmandu Airport by G Small

18 June 2008   Customer Rating :

I flew out of Kathmandu airport - on one of the final security checks I was asked to empty my pockets. I had some amounts of Euro and Sterling (about 50 of each) and about 100 euro worth of Indian money. I had Indian money as I had been in India prior to Nepal and was returning for another week. When the security checker saw the Indian money began ranting and raving about it. I did check later what I had was well below what can be legally taken out. This guy wanted the lot - all 3 currencies - I asked for his supervisor which made him worse. I kept the Euro and Sterling but he pocketed the Indian money. I heard other similar stories of money being taken off, left a bad feeling after what had been 4 great days

Kathmandu Airport by Christian Kracht

23 April 2008   Customer Rating :

A quick update on KTM; the Thai-Star Alliance lounge has been significantly improved (purple "thai" design, flat screen television sets, sandwiches and vol-au-vent pastries, departures are called) and while customs procedures upon departure still hover between the sublime and the absurd, check-in has certainly become faster and more efficient.

Kathmandu Airport by Kathy Wood

24 December 2007   Customer Rating :

I arrived from India so I found the airport an improvement on what I had seen previously. On arrival, the staff were very helpful. However, beware of corrupt security staff. They threatened to confiscate all the gifts I had bought in India unless I paid them. Fortunately a senior member of staff was nearby and must have sensed what was going on and let us through. They did confiscate my camera batteries, though.

Kathmandu Airport by Oliver Spencer

11 December 2007   Customer Rating :

I was quite impressed with the airport. Many things were manual, however, airport staff were helpful and courteous. It was simple and easy to clear get the immigration clearance, customs, baggage claim, and get out of the airport. Overall, given the economic standard of the country the Kathmandu airport is a good airport!

Kathmandu Airport by Melanie Ling

19 January 2007   Customer Rating : n/a

Not a great airport really. Firstly long queues to pay your departure tax, then long queues to check in. Ambiguous information at check in that you could not take cameras and video cameras in your hand luggage which turned out not to be true. Getting through immigration was not too bad but security queues were enormous. The only saving grace was there was a much shorter women only queue. Hand baggage was hand searched as well as scanned and one of my group was asked for baksheesh (bribe) to let her take toiletries on board. (she refused). After security there are just 2 departure lounges with no shops or cafes and uncomfortable seats and very smelly toilets. There were no departure boards and fuzzy announcements so it was difficult to know if it was your flight was going and everyone was asking everyone else! Nepal is lovely but Kathmandu airport is hard work.

Kathmandu Airport by John Lynn

17 November 2006

Surely Christian Kracht is refering to a different airport! The airport at Kathmandu is anything but clean or efficient - one queues on entering to have baggage screened - then security taped - then humps bag to the departure tax window to pay - tip - dont go to the long check in queues for gulf air before doing this - they wont accept your checkin without the required receipt. After check in there is the dire immigration queue upstairs - takes about 15 mins each and god help you if you pass the red line before being called. Then the further x ray screening and full bag search - again god help you if you dont get a stamp on boarding card when they have pulled everything out of rucksack - then a dire waiting area with screwed down plastic chairs. Before final security check is a waiting area which has two duty free shops - a " hatch where one can buy tea, coffee and a snack - this is an International Airport - and Toilets are dire!

Kathmandu Airport by Christian Kracht

15 November 2006

I have always found KTM airport to be efficient, well-run & architecturally impressive. Check-in is on the ground floor after passing security (Check-in is much faster & friendlier than, say, HKG or BKK), then customs and passport check (which are a breeze), plus a swanky, well stocked business lounge, which may be used by Qatar, Thai & Austrian business class passengers (though not Gulf or Jet Airways), with free wi-fi and free domestic telephone calls. Sure, the airport is a little dated.

Kathmandu Airport by Stephen Ryden

2 November 2006

Ghastly airport, horrid dirty, cramped conditions with simply abominable lavatories. When you arrive for the first time on an international flight it's very confusing with poor signage, you exit the immigration hall almost in the same place you enter, but you'd only know that by guessing. Once you've checked in you can't go anywhere but the dingy departures 'lounge'. The security is slow and the troops miserable, there's no guidance on procedure and for example you have to have a luggage tab stamped by the screeners. If you don't have one they don't tell you, then you get to the gate and are turned back by further security who check for the stamp on hand baggage! As an important city, they really should get to grips with the facilities and the impression it makes on entering India.

Kathmandu Airport by Kath Hardy

17 October 2006

Considering that this calls itself an International airport it is really poor, it looks as if no money has been spent on facilities for many years. The worst problem though was the toilets which are dreadful, very dirty, water all over the floor and lots of people standing around doing nothing about it. I did make a complaint but doubt if anyone really cares.

Kathmandu Airport by Jon Hooper

3 June 2006

Domestic terminal is basically a hanger with a few facilities. Check in is chaotic, with baggage check somewhat erratic. There is a secondary body search before going through to the departure area, although if you are foreign the security staff often seem more interested in finding out about your marital status than checking for knives etc. Buses for boarding the aircraft are outdated and rickety, would be on the scrapheap in most countries.

Kathmandu Airport by Gareth Duhig

1 January 2005

If you're a nervous flyer don't look out the windows on landing as you'll see dogs, chickens & sometimes people wandering across the tarmac. Even though the planes park a very short walk from the terminal you are bused which takes 10 times longer than if they just made people walk the short distance! The immigration people are the friendliest I've come across. The arrivals baggage area is a bit chaotic with bags strewn everywhere. The touts outside can be pretty annoying too. The domestic side is much smaller, you're frisked about 4 times between entering the terminal & getting on the plane. I had no trouble with my camera & was even taking pics on the runway while queuing to board. On entering the terminal you're luggage HAS to get a security sticker on it otherwise it won't be accepted at check in & you'll have to go out & come back in again. The departure lounge is large but unfortunately smells like a public toilet.

Kathmandu Airport by Chris Carre

1 November 2004

I travelled through KTM in Sept/Oct on Gulf Air. Considering it is basically a third world country the security is good - searched on entering the terminal, again on proceeding to the lounge and a final frisk at the foot of the aircraft steps. One point to mention security don't like camera batteries for some reason. Ordinary AA size were overlooked, but a small camera 123 size was confiscated as forbidden. Of course it is a bit chaotic , but just go with the flow and you'll be fine. The domestic terminal is complete chaos. My luggage was "lost " in the x ray machine for about five minutes despite a constant flow of other bags that went in after mine . I went through the security three times in as many days and not once did they find the swiss army style tool I had in my hand luggage. It was only at international security that it was spotted straight away and confiscated ( I had forgotten it was there - very embarrassed). Overall considering where it is the airport does a good job and I was impressed.

Kathmandu Airport by James Sarni

11 March 2004

The airport is undergoing some fairly substantial (in relative terms anyway) redevelopment which has made the departure areas larger and more pleasant. The same old gripes about catering and toilet facilities exist but at least there are plenty of seats and room to walk about. The old, frankly ridiculous, final departure lounge is being replaced by a larger one, which will lack the stuff of travellers tales but will certainly be less packed. Depending on where your plane is parked you may still walk across the tarmac. However, the airport has acquired two big shiny transit buses normally seen at much larger and richer airports. And having bought them they are determined to use them. Thus a 1 minute walk may well be replaced by a 10 minute loading of the bus followed by a 20 second bus ride to the plane! In arrivals the system for buying on arrivals visas seems to change every week. No alternative but to go with the flow. But the area is, as with departures, larger than a few years ago. The baggage reclaim features many more carousels than can ever be needed with current flight schedules. Most of the time , bags tend to come pleasantly quickly. The touts outside are still there. But a redesigned exit and police presence means that they are kept well back and it is possible to get well out of the airport before being approached.

Kathmandu Airport by Morgan Woods

8 October 2003

Went to Katmandhu about 10 yrs ago - the airport was pretty basic - walking directly across the tarmac was a quaint touch - far too many touts at the exit for my liking.



 

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