‘We felt abandoned…there was no food or water’: Hundreds of Indians stuck at Tribhuvan airport

The suspension followed weeks of intensifying, youth-led protests across Nepal that erupted into violent clashes in major cities, ultimately leading to the resignation of Prime Minister K P Sharma Oli on Tuesday.

Written by Siddhant Konduskar

Mumbai | Updated: September 11, 2025 11:46 AM IST

4 min read

Protesters celebrate at the parliament building after it was set on fire during a protest against social media ban and corruption in Kathmandu, Nepal, Tuesday, Sept. 9, 2025. (AP Photo)

“There were no ground staff or crew to attend to us, there was no food or even water, and we had hundreds of senior citizens and children in distress… We felt abandoned,” said Rupal Mehta, a resident of Parel, Mumbai, encapsulating the anxiety and helplessness felt by hundreds of Indian nationals stranded at Kathmandu’s Tribhuvan International Airport after flight operations were abruptly suspended in the wake of escalating unrest in Nepal.
Hundreds of passengers, many from Mumbai and Ahmedabad, found themselves stuck at the airport for over 18 hours, with no information, assistance or basic amenities. Majority were pilgrims returning from the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra, along with business travellers and tourists, all caught in the unexpected shutdown of air travel.

On Wednesday, the Nepal Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) issued a statement announcing a phased resumption of flights from Kathmandu after a security audit.

“We hereby inform that the flights suspended due to adverse circumstances would now be lifted, which has been made in accordance with the decision of the Tribhuvan International Airport Security Committee meeting held today. Passengers travelling to the airport for flights are requested to contact their respective airline companies for flight information and to bring official airline tickets and identification documents with them when travelling,” the statement said.

But for many stranded Indians, the statement came too late. By then, they had endured a night of confusion and anxiety at the airport.

“Flights were being cancelled without anyone saying anything. People were sitting here helpless at the airport. It was only after a series of calls to people back home that the things began to move,” said another passenger, who requested anonymity. Travellers also made a collective decision to remain inside the airport for their own safety.

The stranded travellers reported that they finally got help when the Indian Embassy officials in Kathmandu descended on the airport on Wednesday morning. Embassy officials met the travellers and got them escorted to city hotels for temporary stay. “We were escorted to nearby hotels by the embassy people until we found a place to be comfortable at. This was done only in the morning, almost 18 hours since we were stuck,” Priyank Bhatt, another traveller from Mumbai, also on the Kailash Yatra told The Indian Express.

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The Indian Ministry of External Affairs released a new advisory on Wednesday, recommending citizens to avoid travelling to Nepal until the situation stabilises. “In view of the developing situation in Nepal, Indian citizens are advised to defer travel there until the situation has stabilised. Indian citizens presently in Nepal are advised to shelter in their current places of residence, avoid going out onto the streets, and exercise due caution. They are also advised to follow local safety advisories from Nepal authorities as well as the Embassy of India in Kathmandu,” the advisory read.

Government officials indicated that special evacuation flights may be sent if required, though the immediate plan is to wait for commercial operations to resume at Tribhuvan airport. For those still waiting in Kathmandu, the resumption of flights offers relief, but uncertainty about safety and travel arrangements still remains.

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