The sudden change in weather conditions across the country, including Kathmandu, since Friday afternoon have affected flight operations and landings.
Flights and landings at Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA) were suspended after the Valley was shrouded in darkness well before the dusk fell due to the rain, hail and strong winds.
Along with this, a flight of China Eastern Airlines arriving in Kathmandu has been diverted to Kolkata, India, while an Indigo Air flight departing from New Delhi to Kathmandu has also been diverted to Lucknow.
According to TIA, although a Batik Air flight arriving from Kuala Lumpur landed at 3:50 pm, subsequent flights had to be diverted.
Domestic flights have also been hit by the inclement weather. According to the airport's digital information board, a Buddha Air flight arriving in Kathmandu from Pokhara landed at 3:6 pm, but no other flights or landings have been possible since then.
According to the airport, domestic flights from Kathmandu to Bhairahawa, Dhangadhi, and Bharatpur have been canceled.
Currently, the visibility in Kathmandu is only 3,000 meters. Hence, the airport has stated that it is operating under Instrument Flight Rules (IFR). IFR is a system of flying and landing based on indicators inside the cockpit during times of lower visibility than outside the airport.
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