KATHMANDU, JUNE 19

A Boing 787 Dreamliner of Italian airline Neos Air took off today at 18:45pm from Tribhuvan International Airport, repatriating Italian and EU citizens stranded in Nepal due to the lockdown.

Honorary Consul Pratima Pandé and Consular Officer Sabina Shrestha were at the airport to oversee check-in operations and help passengers with security procedures.

It was the first time Neos Air had landed in Nepal.

Everything went smoothly and the plane, after a technical stop-over in Cairo, will land in Milan Malpensa airport tomorrow.

On board was also Murzik, a sweet brown cat, as the company had allowed passengers to carry their pets. The evacuation flight has been coordinated by the Embassy of Italy in India. “We are glad many Italians and EU citizens could fly back to their families after a long wait, said Alfonso Tagliaferri, Consul General of Italy in Kolkata, responsible for consular protection in Nepal.

“Italians love this country, its people, traditions and mountains. They will come back to enjoy and explore as soon as the international health situation allows,” said Consul Geneeral Tagliaferri.

“We are thankful to Nepali authorities for taking good care of our citizens during the lockdown period and for the great collaboration offered in the evacuation procedure. I want to specially thank the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal for their cooperation, Neos Air for their commitment and flexibility, and of course our Honorary Consul Pratima Pandé, always incredibly efficient and available,” he said, adding “It has been a team work, and I’m thankful to everybody who has cooperated for its success.”

A version of this article appears in e-paper on June 20, 2020, of The Himalayan Times.