-KATHMANDU, ANN
The Government of Russia is conducting its first repatriation flight to Nepal to evacuate its nationals stranded in Nepal after the countrywide lockdown imposed by the Nepal Government. The lockdown is being imposed to prevent COVID-19 spread in Nepal.
According to the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN), Royal Flight Boeing 757 has been permitted to conduct repatriation flights 20th of April, tomorrow.
It has been informed that an aircraft of Royal Flight will take off from Moscow Sheremetyevo International Airport at 01:05 AM. as Flight ABG9003 and will land at Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA) at 10:40 AM. The aircraft while returning back will be as Flight No. ABG9004 and will take off at 12:40 noon with Russian nationals.
This was reported in the Telegram channel created by the Ministry of Communications for the return of Russians to their homeland.
It is a very first time Royal Flight is flying to Nepal from Moscow.
Since March 27, the Russian side has stopped regular and charter flights with other countries due to the coronavirus pandemic. Also, from March 31, the country reduced the number of export flights and imposed restrictions on the number of passengers arriving in Russia.
Meanwhile, the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) issued new advice to national governments on repatriation flights designated as State aircraft, humanitarian flights, or commercial repatriation flights advising all to ease international flights for repatriation purposes.
As lots of nationals have been stranded across various countries due to the travel bans and lockdowns, ICAO has requested its member countries to coordinate with each other for repatriation flights.
“This would ensure that necessary authorizations for the entry, departure, and transit of aircraft carrying out such flights whether as state flights, humanitarian flights or chartered commercial flights, are granted expeditiously,” reads the notice.
The notice also states of the obligations of countries with respect to the privilege of foreign aircraft engaged in non-scheduled commercial flights to carry passengers to/from their territories, and it also called on them to review their authorization procedures and ensure speedy approvals.
