Kathmandu, Feb 28 (LatestNewsX) More than a dozen scheduled flights between Nepal and various cities in Gulf countries were cancelled on Saturday following the escalation of war between the United States and Iran.
A joint US-Israel attack on Iran triggered retaliatory strikes by Tehran on Israel and US military bases in several Gulf nations, forcing multiple countries in the region to close their airspace and halt civilian air traffic.
By Saturday evening, a total of 14 flights scheduled to depart from Kathmandu to various West Asian cities, as well as arrivals from those destinations, were cancelled, the Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA) Authority under the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN) said.
According to the TIA authority, several flights operated by Nepal Airlines, Himalaya Airlines, Qatar Airways, Air Arabia, fly Dubai, and Kuwait Airways were cancelled. Himalaya Airlines alone cancelled six flights, the highest among the carriers.
Following the cancellations, a large number of passengers were stranded at TIA, leading to overcrowding in the terminal as they awaited further updates.
“Due to the ongoing situation in Middle East airspace, all our flights to the Middle East sectors, Dubai, Dammam, and Doha, have been cancelled until further notice,” Himalaya Airlines said in a notice posted on social media.
“We kindly request passengers to stay updated by following our official social media channels and visiting our website for the latest information.”
Nepal Airlines also said that due to the ongoing situation in the Middle East, scheduled flights RA 229/230 (Kathmandu-Dubai-Kathmandu) and RA 239 (Kathmandu-Doha-Kathmandu) for February 28 and March 1, 2026, have been cancelled until further notice.
“The status of the Dammam flights will be updated soon,” the national flag carrier said in a social media post.
Earlier on Saturday, the TIA authority warned passengers that some international flights might be delayed, rescheduled, or cancelled, urging them to confirm the latest flight status with the respective airlines before heading to the airport.
“This airport is coordinating closely with airlines and relevant authorities to ensure smooth passenger handling,” it said.
scor/dan
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