Kathmandu, 2 Dec: Delhi Airport has recently introduced a new facilitation system for Nepali passengers flying to third countries via Delhi. This move follows incidents in which four Nepali women traveling on two separate flights were deported from Delhi Airport, causing fear and insecurity among Nepali travelers. Those passengers were flying to Berlin via Qatar Airways and to Colombia via Lufthansa, with India as their transit point. The sudden deportation raised concerns among Nepalis traveling alone to Europe and America.
Following these incidents, the Nepali Embassy in New Delhi coordinated with concerned authorities and urged them to ensure the safety of Nepali travelers. In response, Indira Gandhi International Airport has launched a dedicated information desk for passengers traveling from Nepal and connecting to other international destinations through Delhi, ambassador Shankar Sharma told Kantipur. The goal of this desk is to simplify the transit procedure. According to Indian authorities, Nepali citizens connecting directly to another international flight are not required to go through Indian immigration. Instead, they can move directly to the international transfer area, reducing unnecessary delays and hassles.
Growing Concerns Over Fake Documents and Passenger Verification
Ambassador Sharma stated that the number of Nepalis traveling from Delhi to many destinations around the world has increased. However, passenger security and document verification have become critically important. He mentioned that certain groups have been misleading Nepali workers and travelers by creating fake No Objection Certificates (NOC), fake visas, and other forged documents. In recent months, the Nepali embassy has confirmed that several visas and documents were fraudulent, causing even genuine travelers to face suspicion.
The incident of Sambhavi Adhikari is one such example. She was supposed to travel to Berlin via Qatar Airways through Doha. However, in Delhi, Qatar Airways staff suspected an issue with her documents and prevented her from boarding. Eventually, with assistance from Nepal Airlines, she was sent back to Nepal the same day. This case highlights not only the difficulties faced by Nepali passengers traveling via Delhi but also the importance of proper document verification.
In this context, the Nepali Embassy has urged passengers to thoroughly check all their documents and travel papers before their journey. Better coordination between the embassy and the airport authorities is expected to make transit and international travel safer and more convenient for Nepali travelers.
Increasing Traffic on the Kathmandu–Delhi Route
Delhi Airport currently serves flights to nearly 150 international destinations and handles around 1,400 flights daily, making it a major aviation hub in India. High VAT rates, expensive dollar exchange rates, and airlines giving ticket access only to selected travel agencies—creating an expensive syndicate system—are some of the factors pushing more Nepali travelers to choose connecting flights via Delhi, according to travel agents.
As a result, the Delhi route has become a convenient and beneficial transit point for Nepali passengers.
According to Tribhuvan International Airport, there are now at least 20 daily round-trip flights between Kathmandu and Delhi. Most passengers on these flights travel onward from Delhi to Gulf countries, Europe, America, and various Asian destinations.
