DPM Yadav reaches airport without passport, delays flight

Kathmandu, July 25

A Thai Airways flight from Kathmandu to Bangkok was delayed yesterday after Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Health and Population Upendra Yadav reached Tribhuvan International Airport without passport.

The minister, who reached the airport way later than the airport time, was on his way to Bangkok to attend a two-day conference at Mahidol University. Immigration officials at TIA said the minister’s passport was to be brought to the airport by his aides, but they could not reach on time.

Although the 1:30pm flight was about to take off (the stairs had been removed and the entry doors had been closed), it was asked to wait until the minister’s passport arrived. “After the passport arrived, the stairs were re-attached to let the minister board the flight,” said one of the immigration officials. “The delay led Thai Airways manager fuming at the airport.”

One of Yadav’s aides said his old passport was misplaced so a new passport had to be issued, leading to the situation. “It was not a serious issue as things were sorted out immediately, and the minister has already reached Bangkok boarding the same flight,” the aide said.

The then Minister for Tourism and Civil Aviation Lokendra Bista Magar was in May 2012 detained at Abu Dhabi International Airport in the UAE for travelling without proper documents. He was freed later.