A flight bound for Kathmandu from Pokhara has been diverted to Bhairahawa due to inclement weather, according to sources from Pokhara Airport.
The aircraft, carrying 72 passengers, departed from Pokhara in the morning but was unable to land in Kathmandu due to deteriorating weather conditions. Initially scheduled to take off at 7:25 AM, the flight was delayed and only took off at 9:15 AM. However, after circling above Kathmandu for approximately 20 minutes, the plane was redirected to Bhairahawa Airport, where it landed safely.
Jasoda Regmi, the information officer at Pokhara Airport, confirmed that Buddha Air’s Flight No. 664, an ATR 72, was en route to Kathmandu but had to land in Bhairahawa instead.
Passenger Tika Regmi, currently at Bhairahawa Airport, reported that the passengers have been informed that the flight will resume to Kathmandu once the weather improves.
The aircraft landed in Bhairahawa at 10:20 AM after being diverted when it could not land in Kathmandu. Despite favorable weather in Kathmandu at the time of departure, the conditions worsened mid-flight, leading to the diversion.
Earlier in the morning, two Buddha Air flights departed from Pokhara to Kathmandu. While one successfully landed, the other was unable to due to low visibility and had to be redirected to Bhairahawa.
Pokhara Airport officials have stated that no further flights have taken off since then, with both takeoff and landing operations halted due to visibility issues. It is currently unclear when the airport will resume normal operations.
