After the US and Israel launched a joint attack on Iran on February 16, all flights from Kathmandu to various destinations in the Gulf and from there to Kathmandu were suspended.
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Kathmandu-Doha and Kathmandu-Dammam flights, which were suspended due to the Gulf War, have resumed. This has paved the way for Nepali airlines Himalaya Airlines and Nepal Airlines Corporation to operate flights.
After the joint attack on Iran by the US and Israel on 16 Falgun 2082, all flights to and from Nepal to Dubai and Sharjah in the UAE, Doha in Qatar, Dammam and Riyadh in Saudi Arabia, and Kuwait were suspended. According to Amritman Shrestha, Executive Director of Nepal Airlines Corporation, the Kathmandu-Doha-Kathmandu flight, which was suspended since mid-Falgun, has resumed from Tuesday. The corporation had opened Dammam flights since Chaitra 18.
Meanwhile, Himalaya Airlines has also started flights to Doha from Monday night. Himalaya Vice President Bijay Shrestha said that it will operate four Kathmandu-Doha flights a week. According to him, before the attack on Iran, Himalaya was operating daily Kathmandu-Doha-Kathmandu flights. Shrestha informed that it will operate four flights a week to Dammam in Saudi Arabia from 29 Baisakh. According to both airlines, there is no need to take out additional insurance for regular flights due to the ceasefire between the US-Israel and Iran.
With the start of Doha and Dammam flights, all flights of the Corporation in the Gulf region have been resumed. Himalaya's Kathmandu-Kuwait and Kathmandu-Riyadh flights are still uncertain. Before the Gulf War, Himalaya had been operating one flight daily to those destinations.
Due to the situation that developed after the Iran War, flights to third countries via the Gulf countries were reduced due to the increase in the price of aviation fuel. Air ticket prices to other destinations had increased by more than 50 percent. After the closure of Gulf destinations, the Corporation has increased the number of flights to Bengaluru, India, from two to three per week, to Bangkok, from two to three per week, to Delhi, India, from ten to three per week, and to Narita, Japan, from three to four, said Executive Director Shrestha.
Qatar's flag carrier Qatar Airways had partially reopened Kathmandu flights since 1 Chaitra. Qatar is currently operating four daily flights between Doha and Kathmandu. Similarly, Fly Dubai also resumed flights to Nepal from 26th Falgun.
