Kathmandu Airport was closed for 1 hour and 24 minutes on Friday due to the fire set by the protestors in the bushes between the Civil Aviation Authority and the Tribhuvan International Airport terminal building.

According to Gyanendra Bhul, co-spokesperson of the authority, the airport was closed from 4:13 pm to 5:37 pm due to the smoke from the bush fire on the west side of the airport. The airport has not yet prepared detailed data on how many domestic and international flights were diverted during this period. 

The fire was brought under control by 4 fire engines inside the airport. "Four fire engines and 7 water tankers at the airport were mobilized to control the fire", said an official of the fire station inside the airport.

Before the protestors set fire to the airport premises, at least a dozen windows were broken when stones were thrown at the authority's headquarters building south of the road. The protestors took control of the road in front of the airport at 2:30. After the arson on that road, the police dispersed them from there at 4:30 am. When stones started pelting the authority, the employees working there ran to a safe place. According to airport director Rinji Sherpa, the fire broke out after protesters threw burning tires on the ring road between the authority and the airport. The fire did not damage the physical structure. According to Sherpa, who is also the spokesperson, when the airport was closed, the flight of Shree Airlines, which was coming to Kathmandu from Biratnagar, returned to Biratnagar. Similarly, two planes of Buddha Air returned to Pokhara, one to Janakpur, two planes of Yeti Airlines returned to Bhairahawa, one to Pokhara and one to Janakpur.