Nepal protests: 700 Indian travellers stranded as Kathmandu airport shuts down

Nearly 700 Indian passengers were left stranded after the Tribhuvan International Airport in Kathmandu shut down for flights on Tuesday due to safety concerns following mounting protests across Nepal.

“Four out of the six flights scheduled to bring back passengers from Kathmandu were cancelled after the airport was closed around 1 p.m. on Tuesday. Nearly, 700 air travellers are stranded. We are seized of the matter and in touch with airlines and the Ministry of External Affairs,” a senior government official told The Hindu on condition of anonymity.

Nepal protests updates on September 9, 2025

IndiGo and Air India announced that the flights for the day were cancelled. IndiGo and SpiceJet announced that their flights on September 10 were also being cancelled.

One passenger scheduled to fly back on IndiGo’s 2 p.m. flight said the airline and airport abandoned them at the boarding gate and left them to fend for themselves. 

“The airline staff told us to go through immigration after we reached the boarding gate, effectively asking us to leave the airport staff. We found our baggage thrown around near the baggage reclaim area. But leaving the airport would be foolhardy right now,” Preeti Choudhury, the passenger, told The Hindu in a telephone conversation. Describing the scenes around the airport, she said plumes of smoke could be seen outside the airport possibly from tear gas shells used to disperse protesters. IndiGo and Air India aircraft were seen hovering over the airport and then returning without landing. Military trucks were seen arriving on the tarmac and at least one helicopter took off. 

“Both IndiGo and Air India abandoned their passengers and left them to their own resources. There were only three security personnel left who told us it was very unsafe to leave the airport,” Ms. Choudhury added.

Indian government sources said the airport was believed to be a potential target for protesters who feared certain politicians might attempt to flee the country.

Airline sources said that all airport staff, including security and airline personnel, had been asked to leave the airport premises and return home immediately, leading to a complete chaos on the airport premises.