KATHMANDU, JUNE 16

Under the repatriation flight conducted by the government Himalaya Airlines repatriated Nepali workers from Sri Lanka and Maldives today. According to Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA), a total of 154 Nepalis were brought back home.

The government has started evacuating Nepalis on priority basis from countries affected by COVID-19 starting from Monday.

Nepal Airlines Corporation, Himalaya Airlines and other foreign airline companies are conducting repatriation flights for Nepalis stranded in foreign lands.

Amid this, the government has announced four flights from the United States too.

According to the Nepali embassy located in Washington DC, Nepalis from four cities — New York, Chicago, Washington DC and Dallas — will be repatriated on priority basis. The embassy has chartered aircraft of Turkish Airlines and Qatar Airways for the purpose.

As per the embassy, repatriation flights from New York and Washington DC will be conducted on June 23 by Turkish Airlines and Qatar Airways, respectively. Similarly, on June 25 flights from Chicago and Dallas will be conducted by Turkish Airlines and Qatar Airways, respectively.

For the repatriation flight Qatar Airways is charging $1,600 per person while Turkish Airlines is charging $1,537 per person.

The notice, however, has mentioned that considering the occupancy, the flight schedule might be revised.

On June 14, the government had decided to operate rescue flights by allowing foreign airlines to repatriate Nepalis from abroad. The COVID-19 Crisis Management Operations Centre has decided that Nepali embassies and missions in any country can arrange chartered flights for rescue by negotiating with the airlines of the respective countries.

A version of this article appears in e-paper on June 17, 2020, of The Himalayan Times.