Thousands of passengers stranded, NATO demands resumption of flights

TravelbizNews —–

Kathmandu: Thousands of passengers have been stranded in airports of Kathmandu and some other countries after a Turkish Airlines Airbus A-330 aircraft skidded off the runway at Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA).

Nepal’s only international Airport, closed down on March 4 , is likely to open after 10.00 a.m. Saturday ( March 7)according to a statement of Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal.

Thousands of passengers are stranded in airports of Kuala Lumpur, Dubai, Doha,Hong Kong and New Delhi due to closure of the airport.The Civil Aviation Authority has assured the passengers to resume flights as soon as possible.

Meanwhile, an Indian Air Force Hercules has lifted the front portion of the Turkish Airlines plane .The international flights would resume after the removal of the plane from the runway.

More than 27 international carriers operate 80 international flights in Kathmandu daily. The TIA said that over 220 international flights were cancelled until Friday .

Nepali travel associations and entrepreneurs have expressed worries over the closure of the Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA) when a Turkish Airlines Airbus A330 had a runway excursion and subsequently brought operations at the nation’s sole international airport to a screeching halt.

Nepal Association of Tour Operators (NATO) issuing a statement said,”With the cancellation of all the international flights to and from TIA, thousands of passengers have remained stranded in Kathmandu and different destinations abroad. The failure on the part of the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN) to immediately remove the grounded Turkish Airlines plane for resuming operations of the country’s only international airport is a matter of shame. It has caused a great inconvenience for the passengers as well as airlines serving Nepal. “

NATO, an umbrella association of leading tour operators in Nepal, draws an urgent attention of the CAAN and other relevant authorities towards clearing the airport and making sure that all the flights are resumed at the earliest.

The association also urged the concerned bodies to make arrangements of accommodation and food for passengers bearing the brunt of airport closure.

Significant number of hotel bookings are cancelled in Kathmandu after the closure of international flights at TIA according to the travel entrepreneurs.
March 6, 2015