International flights to Tribhuvan International Airport were disrupted on Tuesday night due to adverse weather conditions. The international flights were diverted to Chaudhary Charan Singh International Airport, Lucknow, India.
The air traffic controller (ATC) at TIA stated Aviation Nepal that the GURAS and RATAN point possessed bad weather conditions with low visibility and some of the thunderstorm on the southern part which forced four flights to divert to alternate airport and some aircraft to hold for time being.
Flights information at Tribhuvan International Airport shows that four flights- OD182 Malindo Air from Kuala Lumpur (KUL) to Kathmandu (KTM), G9535 Air Arabia flight from Sharjah (SHJ) to Kathmandu (KTM), FZ573 fly Dubai from Dubai (DXB) to Kathmandu (KTM) and CZ3067 China Southern Airlines from Guangzho (CAN) to Kathmandu (KTM) – which were supposed to touch down in Tribhuvan International Airport in-between 20:30 PM to 22:30 local time, were diverted and had to land at Lucknow Airport. Silk Air, Nepal Airlines, Himalayan Airlines, Cathay Dragon, etc were at hold. Some circling flights were cleared to land after the conditions improved, officials said.
Meanwhile, the Diverted Flights’ G9535 Air Arabia and OD182 Malindo Air took off from Lucknow airport at 22:57 PM and 23:26 PM simultaneously to Kathmandu yesterday and other two remaining diverted flights CZ3067 China Southern Airlines and FZ573 fly Dubai were able to take off from Lucknow Airport at 00:32 AM and 00: 02 AM local time simultaneously to Kathmandu for continuing its schedule flight. But, only G9532 Air Arabia flight for Sharjah (SHJ) and CZ3068 China Southern Airlines flight to Guangzhou (CAN) were able to departure from Kathmandu (KTM) at around 00:08 AM and 01:49 AM local time following the cancellation of Malindo Air schedule flight OD181 to Kuala Lumpur (KUL) and fly Dubai flight FZ573 to Dubai (DXB) from Kathmandu (KTM) was cancelled, yesterday.
The adverse weather phenomena have brought certain change on the several departing flights resulting delay on the flight time by more than an hour.
In TIA, the IFR flights entering and landing within a terminal control area/ CTR will be cleared to a specified point i.e. GURAS and RATAN and instructed to contact approach/ aerodrome control at a specified time, level or position. The terms of this clearance shall be adhered to until further instructions received from approach/ aerodrome control. If the clearance limit is reached before further instructions have been received, holding procedure shall be carried out at the level last authorized. Pilots making instrument approaches at controlled aerodromes shall refer to the procedures in the instrument approach charts.
At arriving, VFR aircraft shall be required either to enter or remain within TMA at appropriate level till control zone boundary for further descent below 7500′ AMSL or to fly well clear of TMA and enter control zone at a level below 7500′ AMSL. Aircraft making VOR/DME Approach must include level while reporting position (Radial/DME).
