700 Indians Stranded as Protests Shut Kathmandu Airport

Quick Summary

• Nearly 700 Indian passengers stranded at Kathmandu’s Tribhuvan International Airport due to safety concerns amid mounting protests across Nepal.
• Four out of six flights scheduled to bring Indian passengers back were canceled after teh airport ceased operations around 1 pm on Tuesday.
• Airlines IndiGo and SpiceJet announced cancellations of their respective flights for September 9 and September 10. Government authorities are in touch with airlines and India’s Ministry of External Affairs regarding the situation.
• Passengers reported chaotic scenes at the airport, including abandoned baggage, military presence outside the premises, and aircraft turning away without landing.
• Protests reportedly caused fears among demonstrators that politicians may attempt to flee Nepal; leading to concerns that protesters might target the airport infrastructure.

Indian opinion Analysis
The decision to shut down Tribhuvan International Airport underscores the intensity of ongoing unrest in Nepal and its critically important impact on regional connectivity, including for affected Indians stranded in Kathmandu. With mounting protests causing widespread disruptions, India faces logistical challenges in ensuring safe repatriation amidst an unstable scenario driven by potential risks near critical infrastructure like airports.

For India, this highlights a broader issue: maintaining robust diplomatic coordination with neighboring countries during crisis situations while safeguarding its citizens abroad efficiently. The active involvement of India’s Ministry of External Affairs is essential here-not only for direct intervention but also as a test case for enhancing preparedness mechanisms should similar emergencies arise.

Read more: Nepal Protests Updates