Kathmandu, 3 April: The government has decided to operate special rescue flights through Nepal’s flag carrier, Nepal Airlines, to evacuate Nepali citizens affected by the ongoing conflict in West Asia.
Due to disruptions in regular flights from several West Asian countries, many Nepali nationals wishing to return home have been stranded in different parts of the region. Under the initiative of Foreign Minister Shishir Khanal, a joint meeting was held last Tuesday (Chaitra 17) involving senior officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation, the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal, and Nepal Airlines. The meeting reached an agreement to facilitate the rescue and ensure smoother travel arrangements for Nepali citizens in West Asia.
Accordingly, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced that Nepal Airlines will operate special rescue flights. At the request of Minister Khanal, the airline has scheduled continuous special flights from Chaitra 20 to 22. Regular flights to the region had been suspended since February 28 due to ongoing tensions and security concerns.
As per the schedule, on Friday (Chaitra 20), a Nepal Airlines aircraft (RA 229) will depart from Kathmandu to Dubai. Nepali citizens who have already booked tickets, as well as those wishing to return, are requested to get in touch in time. On Chaitra 21, flight RA 230 will return from Dubai to Nepal. On Chaitra 22, another flight (RA 241) will depart from Kathmandu to Dammam, Saudi Arabia, and return the same day as flight RA 242.
The day after the decision to operate special flights, a Kuwait Airways aircraft brought back 291 passengers to Nepal. The same flight also transported the bodies of nine Nepali citizens who had died earlier due to various reasons.
Nepali embassies in the region are currently working to collect data on how many citizens wish to return and how they can be repatriated within the next three days. According to Ramkaji Khadka, Chief of the West Asia, Central Asia, and Africa Division at the Ministry, so far 650 Nepalis from Saudi Arabia, 160 from Kuwait, and 100 from Bahrain have expressed their desire to return home.
He also stated that many of those wishing to return from the United Arab Emirates are Nepali citizens who had traveled on visit visas. Some have already purchased tickets, while data collection on others is still ongoing.
The Ministry has expressed gratitude to Nepal Airlines for arranging the special flights and also thanked Rastriya Beema Company Limited for facilitating the necessary insurance arrangements. Families of Nepali citizens abroad and other stakeholders had been urging the government to arrange special rescue flights amid the ongoing tensions in West Asia.
