According to a senior official at Qatar Airways' Kathmandu station, the company decided to send this wide-body aircraft directly to European destinations after the restrictions imposed on Qatari airspace due to ongoing military tensions in the Middle East made regular flights via Doha impossible.
We use Google Cloud Translation Services. Google requires we provide the following disclaimer relating to use of this service:
This service may contain translations powered by Google. Google disclaims all warranties related to the translations, expressed or implied, including any warranties of accuracy, reliability, and any implied warranties of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, and noninfringement.
Another Qatar Airways Boeing 787 'Dreamliner' aircraft, which has been grounded at Tribhuvan International Airport for the past 14 days, is preparing to depart for London tonight. The aircraft will fly to London via Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, bypassing its main hub in Doha.
According to a senior official at Qatar Airways' Kathmandu station, the company has decided to send this wide-body aircraft directly to European destinations after the restrictions imposed on Qatari airspace due to ongoing military tensions in the Middle East made regular flights impossible via Doha.
According to the Civil Aviation Authority, this flight will be operated as a non-scheduled charter service. Five days ago, another Qatar Airways Boeing 787-9 'Dreamliner' aircraft also flew directly from Kathmandu to London in the same format. There were 311 passengers on board that flight.
This charter flight will make a technical landing in Riyadh before going to London, where arrangements have been made for refueling and crew change. The Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal has granted permission for the plane to fly via Saudi Arabia and return to Kathmandu on Saturday.
According to Qatar Airways' Kathmandu office, the plane will return to Kathmandu from London empty without passengers. This rescue charter flight has been operated to manage passengers stranded in Kathmandu in the current situation. Since it is a charter flight, no new tickets have been sold. The company has stated that passengers who have previously purchased tickets have been given priority by rescheduling without charging additional fees.
Since restrictions are still in place in Doha's airspace, the company has said that instead of sending the plane to other airports in the Gulf, it plans to return the plane to Kathmandu and operate additional charter flights if necessary. The company is reportedly adopting a strategy of operating flights from second to third destinations to manage aircraft and passengers stranded at various airports until the main hub in Doha is fully operational.
Priority is given to citizens of European countries and valid Qatar Airways ticket holders stranded in Kathmandu in this charter flight. Keeping in mind the long-haul flight and air route safety, the plane will refuel and change crew in Riyadh.
Following the military attack on Iran on February 28, several Middle Eastern countries increased their airspace security. Two Qatar Airways wide-body aircraft were grounded in Kathmandu due to a temporary ban on civilian flights in Qatar.
According to airport officials, Qatar Airways is currently operating only a limited number of flights on its international network. The company is diverting its grounded aircraft to other destinations using alternative international routes until its Doha-based hub is fully operational. Earlier on Monday, another Qatar Dreamliner carrying 311 passengers left Kathmandu for London.
Airline staff are hoping that some Qatar Airways passengers stranded in Kathmandu will be relieved after today's flight.
Regional airspace has not fully returned to normal due to ongoing tensions in the Middle East. Although some countries such as the UAE, Qatar and Kuwait have partially reopened their skies, flight operations are still limited. As a result, many international flights are being rerouted, delayed or cancelled.
