KATHMANDU - Foreign airlines have been told to lighten the payloads of flights to Kathmandu's Tribhuvan International Airport because of cracks and potholes in the runway.
Aviation officials have asked carriers to limit their takeoff and landing weight to 196 tons in September, and to replace wide-bodied aircraft with smaller planes because of the deteriorating condition of the airport's runway.
Thai Airways International, Korean Air and AirAsia will be the hardest hit as they operate Boeing 777s, said Shrawan Kumar Rana, the director of Jaya Travels agency in Kathmandu.
"This is going to have a major impact on the airlines' business," he said "Turkish Airlines is heavily booked and is struggling to deal with cancellations."
Cracks and potholes caused disruptions to flights last week, as Nepal prepared for the busy tourism and trekking season from early September to mid-November.
"Our government needs to work promptly at speeding up the repair work even if they have to close down the airport for two days," said Mr Rana.