KATHMANDU: Following the cancellation of flights to Gulf countries due to regional tensions, passengers stranded at Tribhuvan International Airport since Monday night have begun flying to their destinations as flights resume.
On Monday night, Nepal Airlines’ flight scheduled to depart for Doha, Qatar at 11:30 PM was canceled due to the volatile situation in Qatar, leaving many passengers stranded at the airport.
Similarly, Himalaya Airlines also canceled its flight to Qatar, further increasing the number of stranded travelers.
The cancellations came after Iran launched attacks affecting Gulf countries’ airspace. However, with Qatar reopening its airspace, passengers on the canceled flights from the previous night started departing today. The rescheduled flights are set to depart around noon.
Airport General Manager Jagannath Niraula confirmed that both Nepal Airlines and Himalaya Airlines canceled their Qatar-bound flights on Monday night, causing hundreds of passengers to be stuck at the airport. Additionally, the flight from Qatar to Kathmandu, scheduled to arrive at 8 AM today, was also canceled by Qatar authorities.
Niraula expressed optimism that with Qatar’s airspace now open, flights would resume regularly. Nepal Airlines spokesperson Subash Dangi reported that 269 passengers were aboard the canceled Doha flight on Monday and all necessary procedures to send them to their destination have been completed.
The situation caused delays for regular flights to Gulf countries, but operations are gradually returning to normal. The flight cancellations were announced just as boarding was about to commence, causing confusion among many passengers, most of whom were migrant workers heading abroad for employment.
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