After two days of intense uncertainty and disruption, the runways at Tribhuvan International Airport in Kathmandu buzzed back to life on September 10, 2025, at 3:30 PM local time. The reopening followed a tense period marked by violent youth-led demonstrations, a nationwide curfew imposed by the Nepal Army, and the resignation of Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli amid mounting anti-government protests. For hundreds of travelers—many of them Indian nationals—stranded in Nepal, the resumption of flights brought a wave of relief and a glimmer of hope that normalcy might soon return to the Himalayan nation.
The scale of the disruption was significant. According to The Economic Times, the shutdown of Tribhuvan International Airport on September 9 and 10 left scores of Indian travelers unable to return home, as airlines like Air India and IndiGo were forced to cancel several flights. The demonstrations, fueled by frustration over unemployment, political corruption, and disillusionment with the ruling establishment, had paralyzed daily life in Kathmandu and raised serious safety concerns.
With the airport’s reopening, the Indian Ministry of Civil Aviation sprang into action. In coordination with Air India and IndiGo, the ministry arranged for additional flights starting the evening of September 10 and continuing over the next several days. Civil aviation minister Kinjarapu Rammohan Naidu announced on X, “With the opening of the airport operation in Kathmandu, @MoCA_GoI, in coordination with Air India & IndiGo, has arranged additional flights this evening & over the next few days, alongside scheduled services resuming tomorrow. Airlines have been advised to keep their fares within reasonable levels.”
Air India quickly mounted special services to clear the backlog. “Air India is operating special flights today and tomorrow from Delhi to Kathmandu and back to help passengers who have been stranded due to the recent developments in Nepal. Our scheduled operations will also resume from tomorrow,” the airline stated, underscoring its commitment to working closely with government agencies to facilitate travel and keep fares accessible for all affected passengers.
IndiGo, too, resumed its services to and from Kathmandu as soon as the airport reopened, ensuring that stranded travelers could finally continue their journeys. The Indian Ministry of Civil Aviation’s directive to keep fares reasonable was a welcome move, especially for those caught off guard by the sudden closure and the costs of extended stays in Nepal.
The crisis prompted Air India Express to introduce unprecedented flexibility for passengers with bookings to or from Nepal up to September 17, 2025. The airline announced that travelers could freely reschedule their journeys to any future date without incurring change fees or fare differences. For those preferring to cancel, a full refund would be provided to the original mode of payment or through travel agents. This gesture, as reported by The Economic Times, was designed to offer much-needed relief to passengers grappling with uncertainty and evolving travel plans.
Behind the scenes, the Indian Ministry of Civil Aviation worked tirelessly to coordinate with airlines and ensure the safe repatriation of Indian nationals. The ministry’s efforts focused on maximizing the number of passengers accommodated on each flight and facilitating efficient operations, even as the situation on the ground in Nepal remained fluid. The quick collaboration between government agencies, airlines, and international partners helped manage the crisis and enabled a swifter recovery process following the airport’s temporary closure.
As the immediate travel disruption began to ease, broader questions lingered regarding the stability of Nepal’s political landscape and its impact on tourism and aviation. The unrest, rooted in widespread youth dissatisfaction with unemployment and corruption, had not only forced a change in government but also led to curfews and restrictive orders in several parts of the country. Governments, including India’s, issued travel advisories urging caution for citizens in Nepal, reflecting ongoing concerns about safety and security.
Even as flights resumed, the mood in Kathmandu and other affected regions remained tense. The Nepal Army’s curfew orders aimed to quell further violence, but uncertainty continued to hang over the capital. The reopening of Tribhuvan International Airport marked a critical step toward restoring normal operations, yet both Indian and Nepali authorities acknowledged that the situation could shift rapidly.
For airlines, the events in Nepal served as a stark reminder of the unpredictable challenges facing the aviation industry in South Asia. Air India, in particular, has faced a turbulent year. Just months before the unrest in Nepal, the carrier endured the deadliest aviation disaster in a decade when Flight 171, a Boeing Dreamliner bound for London, crashed seconds after takeoff from Ahmedabad on June 12, 2025. The tragedy claimed 241 of the 242 people on board and 19 lives on the ground. A preliminary investigation, as reported by The Associated Press, pointed to cockpit confusion over fuel cutoff switches but found no technical fault with the aircraft or engines.
At the Airline Passenger Experience Association’s conference in Long Beach, California, Air India CEO Campbell Wilson addressed the aftermath of the crash and the airline’s renewed focus on safety. “The investigation is still ongoing, so I can’t comment too freely, but this has been an absolutely devastating event for the people involved, for families, for the company, for staff, and our focus over the last two months has been very much to support them in every way possible,” Wilson said. He emphasized the carrier’s commitment to “a new normal of even extra focus on safety,” adding that “the focus continues to be on the people that were affected.”
Despite these setbacks, Air India’s modernization push—launched after Tata Group privatized the airline three years ago—continues apace. The carrier has placed orders for some 570 new aircraft and is rolling out upgrades to cabins and technology. Wilson noted, “Once Air India was privatized [we] could adopt more normal private sector practices, could make long-term decisions, had the capital to invest.” The airline’s transformation aims to position it as a formidable competitor in India’s rapidly growing aviation market.
The events of September 2025 underscore the volatility and resilience of the region’s travel sector. The swift response from the Indian Ministry of Civil Aviation and airlines like Air India and IndiGo helped restore a sense of order amid the chaos in Nepal. Flexible policies from Air India Express gave passengers greater control over their plans, while ongoing modernization at Air India signals a broader commitment to safety and quality in the face of adversity.
For now, as flights take off once more from Kathmandu, the hope is that both travelers and the aviation industry can look forward to calmer skies, even as they remain vigilant for whatever challenges may lie ahead.
