The Kathmandu Airport was closed due to a demonstration against the ban on social media platforms (Instagram, Whatsapp, YouTube and X) by the government in Nepal’s capital Kathmandu. The government later withdrew this ban.
For this reason, IndiGo’s Delhi-Kathmandu (6E1153) and Mumbai-Kathmandu (6E1157) flights could not go directly to Kathmandu and were asked to land at Lucknow Airport in Uttar Pradesh. Protesters set fire to the areas near Kathmandu Airport, causing smoke to spread and reduced visibility. This was the reason that the arrival of airplanes was stopped. Many Indian flights struggled over Nepal according to flight radar data.
Protests against the social media ban were mainly by the younger generation (GEN Z). The first demonstrations began in protest against the social media ban, but later it turned into extensive opposition against corruption and government policies.
The protesters attacked his residence, including some senior leaders, including Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli. Oli resigned on Tuesday amid this unrest. Curfew was imposed in Kathmandu and other cities and schools were closed.