Himal Press 
Passengers have been stranded at the airport due to flights disruption.
KATHMANDU: Flights at Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA) in Kathmandu have been disrupted due to strong winds.
Rinji Sherpa, the spokesperson for the Tribhuvan International Airport Civil Aviation Office (TIA CAO), told Himal Press that strong tailwinds have impacted flights attempting to land at the airport. “The Air China flight from Chengdu has been diverted to Bhairahawa, while the Air Arabia flight from Abu Dhabi has been redirected to Varanasi,” Sherpa said. “Strong winds are blowing from the southern direction. Since most airlines approach for landing from the south, these strong winds have made landing challenging.”
The Indigo Air flight coming from New Delhi has been diverted towards India.
The tailwinds were recorded at speeds of up to 19 nautical miles, significantly higher than the standard safety limit. Airplanes are generally certified to handle a maximum tailwind of 10 knots during landing. “It depends on the specific rules of each airline. Some airlines may allow landings even when tailwinds reach up to 15 knots,” Sherpa added.
Additionally, several flights – two Air India flights from New Delhi, a Batik Air flight from Kuala Lumpur, a Nepal Airlines flight from Tokyo Narita, and a Qatar Airways flight from Doha – have been kept on holding pattern, the official said.
Several domestic flights have also been affected.
