Kathmandu: Passengers who were stranded at Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA) since Monday night due to the cancellation of flights to Gulf countries have started to fly to their destinations as flights are now operating.
According to National News Agency Nepal, airline services resumed after Qatar’s airspace was reopened following a temporary closure due to an attack.
Passengers were stranded at the airport when a Nepal Airlines flight scheduled to depart for Doha, Qatar, at 11:30 pm on Monday was canceled. Similarly, a Himalaya Airlines flight to Qatar was also canceled. The cancellations were prompted by Iran’s missile attack on Qatar, which temporarily closed Qatari airspace and disrupted flight schedules.
The TIA Office reported that the passengers from the canceled flights have begun their journeys today, with flights rescheduled for 12 noon. Jagannath Niroula, the general manager of TIA, confirmed that flights to Qatar by Nepal Airlines and Himalaya Airlines were canceled, leaving hundreds of passengers stranded at the airport.
In addition, a flight from Qatar to Kathmandu scheduled to arrive at 8:00 am today was also canceled. General Manager Niroula expressed optimism that regular flight operations will resume as Qatar has reopened its airspace.
Subas Dangi, the spokesperson for Nepal Airlines Corporation, noted that there were 269 passengers on the Corporation’s flight to Doha on Monday. He confirmed that all necessary processes have been completed to facilitate their travel today. However, regular flights to Gulf countries are expected to face delays due to the ongoing situation in Qatar.
The decision to cancel the flights on Monday night was made at the last minute after receiving information about the attack, while preparations were underway to board passengers. Many of the stranded passengers were traveling for foreign employment purposes.
Currently, thirty airlines, including three from Nepal, operate international flights from TIA.