Flight operations between India and Nepal came to a halt on Tuesday after Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA) in Kathmandu was forced to shut down amid escalating violence in the country, grounding hundreds of passengers and cancelling multiple services, including at least six from Delhi.

“Flights such as Air India AI 2219, IndiGo’s 6E 1155, Nepal Airlines’ RA 218, AI 2231, AI 217 and AI 211 and 6E 1153 were cancelled,” officials said. They added that “infact Air India 217 had to air return due to smoke on the runway at Kathmandu airport’s final approach.”

The closure has disrupted more than 250 daily flights that the airport usually handles, spanning carriers such as Air India, IndiGo, Fly Dubai, Air Arabia, Singapore Airlines and Batik Air.

Air India and SpiceJet operate six daily flights from Delhi to Kathmandu, however, IndiGo operates three flights from Delhi and one flight from Mumbai.

Priti Choudhary, one of the stranded passengers said, “We have been at the airport since 11am and it’s past 10pm we are all by ourselves. No one from the airline helped us throughout the day. We got to know of the airport closure only when we were at the boarding gate. We are here only because we have been told this is the safest place at the moment. “

Parth Patel (first name changed on request) said, “I was here for Kailash Mansarovar Yatra and was scheduled to return to Mumbai via an IndiGo flight when the airport shut down. There is army at the city side of the airport but there is absolutely no one at the airport. The situation is such that we can even walk on the runway. We are left with no food and water in the airport for the last at least ten hours.”

“When we were told that our flight had been cancelled , the staff did not guide us. The airport currently has around 300 stranded passengers at the departure area and the gate is unmanned. Airlines are communicating to the media, but no one is bothered about the stranded passengers like us,” a passenger requesting anonymity said.

“All the violence is happening is hardly a kilometer away from the airport. Despite this, we were asked to leave the airport premises. Why and where will the non- Nepalese people go? We have no other option than being here at the airport,” another passenger said.

Air India confirmed the suspension of services, saying, “In view of the current situation prevailing in Kathmandu, the following flights AI2231/2232, AI2219/2220, AI217/218 and AI211/212 operating on the Delhi-Kathmandu-Delhi route have been cancelled today. We are closely monitoring the situation and will share further updates. At Air India, the safety of our passengers and crew remains top priority.”

IndiGo issued a similar advisory and said “In view of the prevailing situation in #Kathmandu, the airport has been closed for operations. Consequently, all flights to and from Kathmandu stand suspended as of now. If your travel is impacted, you may conveniently opt for an alternate flight or claim a refund by visiting our website. We are closely monitoring the developments and coordinating with local authorities to resume operations at the earliest. Customers are advised to keep checking our official channels for the latest advisories and updates. We look forward to the restoration of normal operations and sincerely appreciate your patience and understanding.”

SpiceJet also informed passengers about the disruption and said, “Due to the prevailing situation in Kathmandu, our flights To/From Kathmandu stand cancelled for 10th Sep’25. The information will be communicated to all the passengers via SMS/Email on their registered contact details. For re-bookings and refunds, please contact our 24/7 Helpline Numbers.”