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KATHMANDU AIRPORT review : 12 May 2009 : by Pieter van Buul
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Customer Rating : 3/5 |  |
It is all very old fashioned but also very relaxed. For Nepal standards they do their best.
Customs are always friendly especially if you can greet them in their native language! On
arrival it goes always very quick if you have your visa already. Baggage claim can be a bit
disorganised, but most of the times you can leave the airport within half an hour after
leaving the plane. On departure just make sure you are in time or even better make sure you
are a little bit early. You'll be one of the first in line for a fast check in. The next two
hours you can spend reading or so in the very good restaurant (upstairs) with view on the
platform. Quiet and with clean toilets!
KATHMANDU AIRPORT review : 14 April 2009 : by Simon Robinson
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Customer Rating : 1/5 |  |
Probably one of the most disorganised airports in the world. Get a visa before you travel to
Nepal. I queued for 2 1/2 hours on arrival. Departure is an endless game of body searches and
silly questions. A very bad reflection on a wonderful country
KATHMANDU AIRPORT review : 22 February 2009 : by John Lynn
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Customer Rating : 1/5 | |
Just returned from Nepal again - superb country - awful airport - nothing has changed in the
last four years - dont think the toilets have been cleaned since my last visit!, ancient bus
for all of the 50 metres to plane - then another body search before being allowed on plane -
this airport needs to get its act together.
KATHMANDU AIRPORT review : 19 February 2009 : by R Pritchard
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Customer Rating : 3/5 | |
Used the airport twice for short says in Nepal on the way too and from Kathmandu. The main
problem is the lack of departure boards. Every now and then some people would start going
through a departure gate, and everybody else would follow them in case it was their flight.
Arrival was a lot easier though, and the baggage appeared quire promptly. The airport staff
were about the most friendly and helpful I have encountered anywhere, once you manage to find
somebody.
KATHMANDU AIRPORT review : 26 January
2009 : by S Pathirana
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Customer Rating : 1/5 | |
What a shame that this airport serves this wonderful country. I had some Indian Rupees on me
but managed not to be detected. Departure was a nightmare. Extremely rude men at immigration,
asking questions which they had no right to ask. I have a complicated passport history with
many visas - but their right is to stamp me out and not to inquire whether or not I had the
right paperwork to board the plane - that check was done at check-in! Flight was delayed 10
hours as inbound flight could not land (bad weather). This is fairly out of my control, but we
were not allowed to leave back into the terminal to stretch our legs, instead having to wait
in a crowded waiting room served by one atrocious toilet. Food was given after a few hours;
thanks go to Air Arabia's handling of the situation.
KATHMANDU AIRPORT review : 10 December 2008 : by E Baylis
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Customer Rating : 1/5 | |
Our visit to Nepal was soured by my experience at Kathmandu Airport. We were leaving to return to
Delhi, I had checked all our luggage though and went through for a personal security check. While in
the cubicle the guard checked my pockets and asked me if I had any money, I said I did not have any
Nepal money as we were requested not to take any out of the country. I had 100 Indian rupee notes,
he stated ranting "give me money" "give me money" "200 200" . In shock I handed over 200 Indian
rupee and he pushed me out of the cubicle. I just felt so intimidated, this is assault and robbery.
We had intended going back to this beautiful country, but we will give it a miss now and tell others
of our experience.
KATHMANDU AIRPORT review : 22 September 2008 : by Alex Thomas
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Customer Rating : 3/5 | |
Second time flying through this airport. Large improvement since I was there in 2005, even with the
notable increase in traffic. Toilets seem cleaner, and immigration more efficient. In general staff
seem more professional. The range of duty free shopping is still disappointing.
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.
