Flights grounded after threats by locals over trekkers

Nepal's airlines have halted helicopter flights to the Everest region after locals, angry at the environmental impact and loss of income from trekkers, threatened landing sites, aviation officials said.

Helicopters are a key means of transport and crucial for emergency rescue in many of Nepal's remote regions, often inaccessible by road.

But they have also been increasingly used to airlift mountaineering teams and tourists over the challenging terrains in the Sagarmatha National Park, home to Mount Everest.