When aircraft from Kathmandu, Biratnagar, Bharatpur began landing at Janakpur Airport one after another…

Published On: March 28, 2024 01:43 PM NPT By: Republica | @RepublicaNepal

KATHMANDU, March 28: Due to unfavorable weather conditions, passengers were stranded when aircraft flying from various locations to Kathmandu were held at Janakpur. This morning, more than 200 passengers were affected as flights from Biratnagar to Kathmandu, Bharatpur to Pokhara, and mountain flights were all held at the Janakpur Airport.

The Yeti Airlines aircraft that departed from Biratnagar to Kathmandu at 7 AM today landed at the Janakpur Airport at 8:43 AM due to deteriorating weather conditions in Kathmandu. Similarly, a Buddha Airlines plane that took off from Bharatpur at 7 AM for Kathmandu landed at the Janakpur Airport at 8:32 AM, while a Buddha Airlines mountain flight also landed there at 8:38 AM due to the same weather issues.

Bikash Jha from the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN) in Janakpur stated that flights from various locations to Kathmandu scheduled between 8 AM and 10 AM were held at Janakpur for about two hours due to weather problems along the route. He mentioned that three aircraft destined for Kathmandu were temporarily held in Janakpur after the weather conditions in Kathmandu deteriorated.

Jha further said that the Yeti Airlines flight from Biratnagar to Kathmandu departed at 10:16 AM, the Buddha Air flight from Bharatpur to Kathmandu departed at 9:47 AM, and the Buddha Air mountain flight resumed its journey to Kathmandu at 10:32 AM after being held at Janakpur.

He added that all these flights were held at the Janakpur Airport due to their proximity to the location. Additionally, he noted that regular flights from the Janakpur Airport were also affected temporarily due to adverse weather conditions and warned of ongoing disruptions throughout the day due to poor visibility caused by bad weather in Kathmandu.

In contrast, Subash Jha, the spokesperson for the Tribhuvan International Airport, mentioned that some international flights were affected due to low visibility. Furthermore, flights at the Pokhara Regional International Airport were grounded due to poor visibility caused by bad weather, although regular flights continued in the Terai region airports.