Over 40 flights to be operated to evacuate Nepali nationals stranded in various labor destinations
KATHMANDU, Aug 16: The fifth phase of repatriation flights for Nepali migrant workers stranded abroad due to COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent lockdown measures is set to begin from Monday. More than 40 flights are scheduled to be operated during the repatriation period that will last till August 31.
42 flights to be operated in the second phase of repatriation d...
The Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN) has allowed Nepal-based international airlines to operate more than 30 repatriation flights during the phase. Some 10 flights will be conducted by international airlines.
According to Nepal Airlines, it will bring stranded Nepalis home in 17 flights from countries like Dubai, Qatar, Malaysia, Saudi Arabia and Kuwait, among other countries.
Similarly, Himalaya Airlines, a Nepal-China venture, is scheduled to operate 14 flights to various labor destination countries including Malaysia, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Dubai. The repatriation flights will be operated between August 17 and August 31.
The government has announced the resumption of scheduled international and domestic air services starting September 1. Earlier, the suspension was supposed to be lifted from August 17 but the decision was revised in view of the increasing number of COVID-19 cases in the country.
CAAN has permitted international airlines like Qatar Airways, Air Arabia, Etihad Airways, Jazeera Airways, Fly Dubai and Turkish Airlines to operate 11 flights. More than 50,000 Nepalis have been repatriated from abroad since the government started operating repatriation flights on June 10.
