Air India Cancels Flights To And From Kathmandu Amid Unrest

(MENAFN- IANS) New Delhi, Sep 10 (IANS) Air India has announced that its flights to and from Kathmandu on Wednesday have been cancelled as the airport continues to remain closed amid the unrest in the country.

“We are closely monitoring the situation and will share further updates. At Air India, the safety of our passengers and crew remains top priority," the airline spokesperson said.

Air India and low-cost carrier IndiGo on Tuesday cancelled their flights between Delhi and Kathmandu as the neighbouring country plunged deeper into chaos after pressure from Gen-Z protests escalated following the killing of 19 people including schoolchildren in police firing while 200 others were injured.

Air India on Tuesday said in a statement that in view of the current situation prevailing in Kathmandu, " 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," said an Air India spokesperson.

IndiGo said that 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," said the low-cost airline in a statement posted on X.

"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," IndiGo added.

Meanwhile, Nepal's Prime Minister K.P. Sharma Oli resigned from his post and fled the country as protests intensified on the second day following the killing of 19 protestors on Monday.

Enraged by the killing of so many people during the first day of the protests organised by Gen-Z demanding accountability for corruption and the social media ban, protestors throughout the country started to attack the houses of leaders and government buildings.

On Tuesday, the protestors stormed into the parliament building at Baneshwor in Kathmandu and set the building on fire. The protestors had made unsuccessful attempts to damage the building even on Monday, which led to a strong police response resulting in the death of several people.

They also entered the Singh Durbar, the main administrative centre of the Nepalese government and torched the main gate.

India said it is closely monitoring the evolving situation in the Himalayan country.

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