IndiGo Airlines issued a travel advisory on Wednesday after the deadline for closure of Kathmandu Airport. It said that by September 10 at 6 pm, all flights going to Kathmandu will be canceled. The first flights were stopped till 12 noon on September 10, but now the time has been extended.
IndiGo said in its statement that the flights will be resumed as soon as permission is given. For the convenience of passengers, the airline has also announced a discount on changing tickets and canceling by September 12. At the same time, SpiceJet also canceled all the flights of September 10 to Kathmandu on Tuesday.
Air India reported that four of its flights (AI2231/2232, AI2219/2220, AI217/218 and AI211/212), which run on the Delhi -Kathmandu -Delhi route, had to be canceled on Tuesday. Air India said that the safety of passengers and crew is its highest priority and the situation is constantly being monitored. The airline operates six flights daily on this route.
According to the information, an aircraft had reached Kathmandu but had to return to Delhi after not getting the landing clearance. Another aircraft returned after seeing smoke at the airport.
Indigo’s Delhi -Kathmandu and Mumbai -Kathmandu flights also had to divert Lucknow. Later, the airline temporarily suspended all Kathmandu flights. IndiGo has issued a travel advisory to give passengers the option of changing tickets or refunds.
Nepal Airlines also canceled flights to the Delhi -Kathmandu route. Due to these circumstances, many passengers were stuck at Kathmandu Airport. On social media, a user wrote – “My wife and many passengers are trapped at the airport, need immediate help, the airport has been closed.”
Protests against social media ban began in Nepal from 8 September. These demonstrations soon became violent. So far, at least 19 people have died and 500 people have been injured. Curfew has been imposed in many cities including Kathmandu to control the situation. The Nepali Army issued an order on Wednesday, saying that curfew will remain in force across the country from 6 am on Thursday (September 11). The army appreciated the support of the public in handling the situation and expressed condolences to those who lost their lives in the violence.
Meanwhile, Nepal President Ramchandra Paudel will meet the protesters today (September 10) so that peace can be restored through negotiations. This step has been taken at a time when Prime Minister K.P. Sharma Oli has resigned. Significantly, the crisis of unemployment is also believed to be a major reason for this movement. It is being told that about 5,000 youth are going to leave Nepal abroad daily in search of employment.
