Passengers' ire at Kathmandu airport: International flights hit

KATHMANDU: Several international flights, including three from India, were delayed after stranded passengers of a Nepalese airliner disrupted operations at the international airport here for nearly four hours, airport officials said on Wednesday.

Around 190 passengers of the Nepal Airlines Corporation took control of the departure lounge of Tribhuvan International Airport from 2 pm to 6 pm  on Tuesday and barred passengers of other airlines to board their flight.

Two Indian Airlines flights bound for Kolkata and New Delhi, an Air Sahara flight to New Delhi and a Biman Bangladesh's flight for Dhaka could not take off on time due to the agitation.

The passengers were protesting against the NAC's apathy and mismanagement that caused them to be stranded for a week.

The national flag carrier had cancelled its twice-a-week flights for Dubai since April 26 owing to technical problems in its Boeing 757s.

The agitating passengers withdrew their protest after NAC assured them that it would arrange a flight to take them to Dubai by Wednesday.

Almost all the stranded passengers were Nepalis working in the Gulf region.

NAC's international flights have been hit for a week after both of its Boeings faced technical problems on April 24.

While one resumed operation a day later, another one has been sent to Brunei for repairing. The operational Boeing has also been facing technical snags from time to time.