TIA sees 234 flights take place during lockdown

27 June Kathmandu : During the three-month period of lockdown, Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA), country’s only international airport, made 234 international flights including chartered and cargo flights. National flag carrier, Nepal Airlines Corporation (NAC), made 51 flights along with its chartered flights.

Officials said that 25,000 passengers travelled to and from the TIA during the period in such flights. A total of 11,282 passengers and 33 children landed at TIA while 13,103 passengers and 256 children have left here for different countries, the TIA Office said.

During the period, 492,000 cargos arrived in Nepal while 4.17 million kilograms cargos were sent to different countries from Nepal.  NAC’s Spokesperson Archana Khadka said that the NAC made 28 chartered flights. Among them, 23 flights were made to evacuate Nepalis from different countries with coordination of the government.

The Himalaya Airlines is the second one that made the highest number of flights after the NAC.  Among the foreign companies, Qatar Airways made the largest number of flights. Similarly, Jazeera Air, Turkish Airlines, Air Arabia, Korean Airlines and others too made chartered flights to Nepal.

The NAC made up to eight international flights in a single day during the lockdown time. On June 26, the NAC made eight international flights by its two wide body aircraft and two narrow body aircraft. The NAC planes flew to Bahrain, Hong Kong, Malaysia and Saudi Arabia on Friday.

International flights are being operated continuously to and from Tribhuvan International Airport since June 15. Ten to 16 flights are taking place daily since June 15. The TIA Office stated that 16 international flights were operated on Friday alone. Nepalis stranded in various countries due to the lockdown are being repatriated home via chartered flights since June 15.