Put off trips to Nepal, says MEA; airlines cancel flights; tourists and trucks stranded

NEW DELHI: The ministry of external affairs issued an advisory on Tuesday asking Indian citizens to postpone travel to neighbouring Nepal till the situation there stabilises.

"Indian citizens presently in Nepal are advised to shelter in their current places of residence, avoid going out onto the streets and exercise due caution. They are also advised to follow local safety advisories from Nepal authorities as well as the embassy of India in Kathmandu," says a post on the MEA's official X handle.

Three Kathmandu-bound flights were diverted to Lucknow and a fourth to Delhi after unrest and arson in the capital city forced Nepalese authorities to shut Tribhuvan International Airport. IndiGo operated two of these flights, and FlyDubai and Thai Lion Air one each.

IndiGo subsequently suspended its flights to and from Nepal till further notice. "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," it said.

Air India is offering passengers with confirmed bookings for travel to and from Kathmandu until Sept 11 a one-time waiver on rescheduling charges. SpiceJet cancelled flights to Nepal scheduled for Tuesday while AI Express suspended its Bengaluru-Kathmandu flight for Wednesday.

Nepal aviation authorities issued a notice to airmen about Kathmandu airport being shut.


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