Post by : Raina
Al-Fahim
Flight services at Nepal's Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA) in Kathmandu were suspended on Saturday due to a significant electrical issue impacting the runway lighting system. This situation arose around 5:30 p.m., leading to interruptions for both domestic and international flights for an extended period.
According to officials, the electrical malfunction resulted in the runway lights shutting down, rendering it unsafe for aircraft operations. Consequently, several flights had to be diverted while technical teams worked diligently to restore normalcy.
After more than four hours of extensive repairs, the issue was finally addressed, allowing flight operations to resume around 10:00 p.m. local time. An airport staff member stated, “The problem was resolved after over four hours of maintenance work.”
During the outage, two domestic flights and three international flights were redirected to different airports. Flights from Qatar Airways were sent to Dhaka, Korean Air to Delhi, and Fly Dubai to Lucknow, while Buddha Air's two domestic routes were shifted to alternate regional airports within Nepal.
The authorities have yet to clarify the underlying reason for the electrical failure, but initial assessments indicate it stemmed from issues within the airfield lighting system, which is vital for safe landings at night or during low visibility.
Tribhuvan International Airport serves as Nepal's sole international access point, managing countless flights each day and acting as a key connector to global destinations. This temporary suspension caused major inconvenience for travelers and impacted numerous flight schedules.
Normal operations have since resumed, and officials have confirmed that further evaluations will be made to avoid future occurrences of similar disruptions.
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