More than a dozen scheduled flights between Nepal and various Gulf cities were canceled on Saturday due to the escalating conflict between the United States and Iran. The joint US-Israel attack on Iran prompted retaliatory strikes by Tehran on Israel and US military bases in Gulf nations, leading to the closure of airspace and suspension of civilian air traffic in the region.
By Saturday evening, 14 flights departing from Kathmandu to different West Asian cities and incoming flights from those destinations were canceled, as confirmed by the Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA) Authority under the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN). Airlines such as Nepal Airlines, Himalaya Airlines, Qatar Airways, Air Arabia, fly Dubai, and Kuwait Airways had to cancel their flights, with Himalaya Airlines canceling the highest number at six.
Following the flight cancellations, a significant number of passengers found themselves stranded at TIA, causing overcrowding in the terminal as they awaited further updates. Himalaya Airlines, in a social media notice, mentioned the cancellation of flights to Middle East sectors like Dubai, Dammam, and Doha until further notice, advising passengers to stay informed through official channels for updates.
Nepal Airlines also announced the cancellation of scheduled flights to Dubai and Doha due to the Middle East situation. The airline urged passengers to check for updates on the status of Dammam flights. Earlier, the TIA authority had cautioned passengers about possible delays, rescheduling, or cancellations of international flights, advising them to verify the latest flight status with the airlines before heading to the airport.
