There were 66 passengers on board the ATR aircraft flying to Simara. The engine was already running. The passengers had fastened their seat belts as instructed by the cabin crew. Captain Shailesh Rawal was about to ask permission from Kathmandu Tower to take the plane to the taxiway. Suddenly, the air traffic controller (ATC) gave bad news, ‘Protesters entered Simara Airport. Simara Airport was closed. The plane had to be stopped.’

The news reached the Kathmandu airport tower via the Simara airport tower. After reaching the cockpit of the plane with the call sign of Buddha Air 'November India', the crew decided to shut down both engines of the plane. The cabin crew was asked from inside the cockpit to circulate to the passengers on board that they could not go to Simara. The air hostess informed that the flight was canceled. However, she could not tell the passengers the exact reason for the closure of Simara airport. The air hostess informed that all the passengers would be kept in the terminal hall for the time being, stating that the flight might be resumed.

Very few knew that the reason for the plane's stoppage was due to the protest of the program that UML leaders Shankar Pokharel and Mahesh Basnet, who were on board, were participating in. The pilots only learned the reason for the Simara flight cancellation after the news came. All the passengers were put on buses and brought to the terminal hall. Then they also learned about the clash between the Youth Association and Gen-G.

The Buddha Air ATR plane was returning from Nepalgunj and was about to fly from Kathmandu to Simara. The plane was supposed to take off at 10:30 am. It was preparing to take off at 11 am due to a minor delay. On the other hand, about 60 passengers from Simara were preparing to arrive in Kathmandu. They were stranded after the plane did not take off from Kathmandu.

Buddha Air has canceled eight two-way flights on Wednesday after tension arose at Simara Airport. According to Simara Airport Chief Bishnu Prasad Adhikari, this is the first incident where Simara Airport has been closed due to political unrest.

After two groups started throwing bottles, running and beatings at the entrance of the airport, the Civil Aviation Office Simara had exercised its legal authority to close the airport for flight safety and requested the District Security Committee for security. Following the request of the airport, the Chief District Officer had issued a curfew order. ‘The flights scheduled from Kathmandu on Wednesday were canceled after Simara Airport itself said no,’ Buddha Air Director Rupesh Joshi told Kantipur, ‘We have arranged two additional flights on Thursday for the passengers who were stranded on Wednesday.’

The Kathmandu-Simara route is crowded with Indian citizens, businessmen and local passengers. Buddha Air alone operates 10 two-way flights on this route. Buddha Air has stated that it lost business worth Rs 4 million due to the cancellation of eight two-way flights on Wednesday.

There are 15 police officers under the command of the SAI for security at Simara Airport. Simara Airport has stated that the District Security Committee has added 12 police officers on Wednesday. The airport office has stated that regular flights will be operated on Thursday as the situation around the airport is returning to normal by Wednesday evening.