Flights Suspended at Lukla Airport

November 4, 2011

Tourists hiking in the Everest Region should be made aware that bad weather has prevented any aircraft from flying in or out of the Lukla airport in the last four days. Supplies in Lukla are limited, over 1,500 trekkers are stranded, and approximately 400 more arrive to the area each day.

Stranded tourists may wish to consider the option of trekking down to Jiri, where bus transportation to Kathmandu is available. The Government of Nepal does not plan to evacuate tourists to Kathmandu at this time.

For additional information, please refer to "A Safe Trip Abroad" on our website, http://travel.state.gov/. U.S. citizens living or traveling in Nepal are encouraged to enroll in the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) at the following web site: https://travelregistration.state.gov. U.S. citizens without internet access may enroll directly at the U.S. Embassy. By enrolling, U.S. citizens make it easier for the Embassy to contact them in case of emergency. The Consular Section of the U.S. Embassy in Kathmandu is located at Maharajgunj. The telephone number is 977-1-4007200 or 4007201. The number for after-hours emergencies is 977-1-4007266 or 4007269. The Consulate's e-mail address is consktm@state.gov and its internet web page is http://nepal.usembassy.gov.

For the latest security information, U.S. citizens living and traveling abroad should regularly monitor the Department of State's Bureau of Consular Affairs Internet website, where the current Worldwide Caution and Country-Specific Information for Nepal can be found. Travel information is also available at http://www.travel.state.gov/. Up-to-date information on security can also be obtained by calling 1-888-407-4747 toll-free in the U.S. and Canada, or for callers in other areas by calling a regular toll line at 1-202-501-4444. These numbers are available from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Eastern Time, Monday through Friday (except U.S. federal holidays).