Kathmandu: The aviation sector has been affected due to the Hayli Gubbi volcanic explosion in Afar of Ethiopia. The aircrafts of Qatar Airlines that were scheduled to fly to Qatar from Nepal today have been halted at the Tribhuvan International Airport.
According to National News Agency Nepal, General Manager of the TIA Hamsaraj Pandey reported that two wide-body aircrafts belonging to Qatar Airlines, scheduled to take off at 10:00 am and 11:00 am respectively, have been grounded at the airport. This disruption is attributed to the smog emanating from the volcanic explosion.
“Two wide-body aircrafts of Qatar Airlines could not fly due to the smoke emanating from the volcanic explosion site. The resumption of flights may take place up to 2:00 pm. There is no impact of volcanic eruption in other flight service in Nepal,” Pandey stated.
Similarly, a Nepal-bound aircraft of Korean Airlines was also affected by the volcanic outburst. According to the information received, flights are expected to arrive in Nepal by Wednesday evening, Pandey added.
As a consequence, hundreds of passengers have been severely impacted due to the disruptions in the flight schedule of Qatar Airlines for Kathmandu-Doha and Doha-Kathmandu routes. Many passengers find themselves stranded at the departure lounge of the TIA.