Quake aftermath: Flights to Kathmandu hit

Flight services to Kathmandu were on Saturday cancelled or put on hold following the closure of airport there after a powerful earthquake rocked central part of the Himalayan country.

"Due to the closure of Kathmandu airport following the earthquake this morning, the Kathmandu flight was diverted to Lucknow and would return to Mumbai. Consequently, the return flight from Kathmandu stands cancelled," Jet Airways said in a statement.

The airline said it has also cancelled its services on the New Delhi-Kathamndu-New Delhi sector due to the developments, adding it is closely monitoring the situation and updating its passenger on a regular basis.

"We operate three flights to Kathmandu. While the morning flight from Delhi operated as per the schedule, the two other services, one from Delhi and another from Kolkata are on hold as of now. We will operate them as soon as we get a nod from the aviation authorities in Kathmandu," an Air India spokesperson said in New Delhi.

Budget carrier SpiceJet and IndiGo have also decided not to operate till they get a clearance from the Nepal government.

"Due to the earthquake, Kathmandu Airport is currently closed and SpiceJet's flights to Kathmandu are on hold," a SpiceJet spokesperson said in a statement.

SpiceJet has advised passengers travelling to Nepal to check with the airline before heading for the airport, the spokesperson said, adding all information will be available on the airline's website besides through call centre and its Twitter handle.

All change and cancel fees will be waived for Saturday and the next three days to begin with, the spokesperson added.

"We are also preparing to support relief agencies with the transportation of emergency materials to Kathmandu from Delhi on our flights once they resume," the spokesperson said.

Gurgaon-based IndiGo said that it had called back its Delhi-Kathmandu flight.

"Kathmandu Airport is shut. We are in crisis response mode," IndiGo president Aditya Ghosh said.

"In this sort of situation, one can't predict when the operations would be resumed. Our top priority right now is safety of our staff and passengers," he said.

Indigo has also waived cancellation charges for its flights to Kathmandu for one week, Ghosh added.

A powerful 7.9 magnitude earthquake struck Nepal on Saturday, causing massive damage in the capital Kathmandu with strong tremors felt across neighbouring countries.

Image: Kathmandu airport shut post earthquake.
Photograph: Reuters