ANI file photo
NEW DELHI: India has advised its citizens to “defer travel (to Nepal) until the situation has stabilised. Airlines including Indian carriers, have suspended flights as Kathmandu Airport (KTM) was closed on Tuesday afternoon when Gen Z protestors set fire nearby. A few flights between Indian cities like Delhi, Mumbai and Bengaluru were able to operate Tuesday morning. But as the day progressed and the situation worsened, multiple Kathmandu-bound flights hovered near the city before diverting or returning to India. Subsequently airlines suspended flights.In its advisory, the Indian foreign ministry said: “In view of the developing situation in Nepal, Indian citizens are advised to defer travel there until the situation has stabilised. Indian citizens presently in Nepal are advised to shelter in their current places of residence, avoid going out onto the streets and exercise all due caution. They are also advised to follow local safety advisories from Nepal authorities as well as the embassy of India in Kathmandu…”IndiGo said on X Tuesday afternoon: “In view of the prevailing situation in Kathmandu, the airport has been closed for operations. Consequently, all flights to and from Kathmandu stand suspended as of now. If your travel is impacted, you may conveniently opt for an alternate flight or claim a refund by visiting our website. We are closely monitoring the developments and coordinating with local authorities to resume operations at the earliest.” Customers have been advised “to keep checking official channels for the latest advisories and updates.” Air India said on X Tuesday evening: “…Air India is offering passengers with confirmed bookings for travel to and from Kathmandu until Sept 11, on tickets issued up to Sept 9, a one-time waiver on rescheduling charges. The safety of our passengers and crew remains our highest priority.” SpiceJet cancelled Tuesday flights. AI Express has suspended Wednesday’s Bengaluru-KTM. By Tuesday afternoon Nepal aviation authorities issued a notice to airmen (NOTAM) about Kathmandu airport being closed. Now flights can resume only after this NOTAM is lifted.Air India has six flights to and from KTM, mostly from Delhi. On Tuesday two early morning flights managed to operate between Delhi & KTM. The third, AI 217, took off from IGI Airport 11.38 am on Tuesday. It hovered near KTM for a while before the pilots decided to return to Delhi due to “smoke at final approach of KTM” and landed at IGIA at 3.10 pm. The other three flights were cancelled.An AI spokesperson said: “In view of the current situation prevailing in Kathmandu, (four) flights AI2231/2232, AI2219/2220, AI217/218 and AI211/212 operating on the Delhi-Kathmandu-Delhi route have been cancelled Tuesday. We are closely monitoring the situation and will share further updates. At Air India, the safety of our passengers and crew remain top priority.”At least two IndiGo flights — 6E1153 (Delhi to Kathmandu) and 6E1157 (Mumbai-Kathmandu) hovered near KTM for a while on Tuesday before diverting to Lucknow. Air India Express has a daily between Bengaluru and KTM, which operated on Tuesday morning. Five Delhi-KTM flights on which 801 passengers were booked to travel were cancelled Tuesday, including three of Air India and one each of IndiGo and Nepal Airlines.
