KATHMANDU, Aug 23: The Nepalis left stranded in Dubai airport after a chartered flight was cancelled will be brought home today. A wide body aircraft A-330 of Nepal Airlines left for Dubai this morning and is scheduled to return with the passengers at 4:15 in the afternoon.
The NAC aircraft with more than 260 passengers will arrive from Dubai to Kathmandu this afternoon, said NAC Spokesperson Archana Khadka. NAC's scheduled flight on August 18 had been cancelled by the government citing lack of a quarantine facility for the incoming passengers. As a result, the NAC aircraft returned to Kathmandu empty, leaving the passengers stranded at the airport.
Following widespread criticism including by the affected passengers, the cabinet decided to allow a rescue flight to bring them home. The government has also decided to resume regular international flights starting September 1. However, only Nepali nationals, diplomatic staffers, UN staffers from countries with easy PCR facility for Coronavirus testing will be allowed to come to Nepal in the flights.
Chartered flights will continue from other countries, as per the recommendation of the diplomatic missions concerned.
According to Tribhuvan International Airport Manager Devendra KC, four flights are scheduled to bring Nepalis from different countries today.