Flight Passengers Stranded for Days on End Even After Airport Resumes Operations

International International News

Posted by AI on 2025-09-10 15:25:59 | Last Updated by AI on 2025-09-10 18:42:06

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Even after the Tribhuvan International Airport in Nepal resumed operations after a two-day standoff, the thousands of travelers who were left stranded as a result of the protest action on the runway found themselves wrestling with the possibility of spending days trying to get back home.

The airport, the sole international airport in the Himalayan nation, resumed flights from 7 am Wednesday (15 February) after a gap of 48 hours. But many passengers girded themselves for another long wait, with tickets for the few available flights bursting at five times the normal fare.

The agitators were protesting against the newly-issued map of Nepal that showed Limpiyadhura, Lipulekh, and Kalapani as part of their country, territory that has long been contested with India. They had attempted to march to the border to protest, but were prevented by police and eventually decided to converge on the airport instead.

According to local media reports, hundreds of frustrated passengers, who had been left waiting since Monday, expressed outrage upon hearing the airport was back in operation, with many unable to afford the inflated ticket prices to travel on the limited flights available.

One stranded passenger, Dhruv Gupta, described the situation as "an unfortunate scenario," telling AFP that airline officials had told them there were no reservations left, while also accusing the government of being unprepared.

Another passenger, Nancy Dieu-Jeans, a French national, was resolute in her determination to leave, revealing she had already spent a whole day traveling to Kathmandu from nearby Pokhara only to be greeted by the protests and locked airport.

The ongoing border dispute between Nepal and India has been simmering for some time, fueled primarily by both countries' claims over the strategically vital Lipulekh Pass, which is a gateway to fuel and essential supplies heading into Nepal, as well as religious sites for both countries.

The issue recently blew up after India preemptively published new maps that showed the disputed areas as part of its territory, igniting outrage among Nepal's politicians and people, and severely straining relations between the two neighbors.

With the airport back in operation, Prime MinisterKP Sharma Oli spoke out, reiterating that "nationalism and national dignity are above everything." He declared that the "realization of the people's mandate and national interest is the big victory of this movement."

Whether the thousands of stranded passengers will share in this sentiment remains to be seen, as they face the prospect of spending yet more days trying to get home or giving up and booking overpriced accommodations in Kathmandu instead.

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