Archive · 9 Nov 2025
Nepal Airport Flights Resume After Runway Light Glitch Halts Operations
Imagine the lights that help airplanes land and take off at an airport suddenly stopped working.
This happened at Nepal's main airport, Tribhuvan International Airport, on Saturday evening.
Because it's not safe to fly without these lights, all planes had to stop moving in and out.
Some planes waiting to land had to circle around, and a few had to fly to other airports because they couldn't land in Nepal.
Airport helpers worked to fix the electrical problem with the lights.
After about four hours, the lights were fixed, and planes could start landing and taking off again.
Flight operations at Nepal's Tribhuvan International Airport were suspended due to an electrical problem with the runway lighting system.
The disruption affected both domestic and international flights, causing several to be diverted to other airports.
The issue began around 5:30 PM local time on Saturday and was resolved approximately four hours later, allowing operations to resume at 10:00 PM.
One international flight was diverted to New Delhi due to low fuel, and one domestic flight returned to its origin.
Airport staff worked to fix the electrical problem, suspected to be caused by rainwater, and operations resumed after the repair.
- Who
- Tribhuvan International Airport officials and affected passengers
- What
- All flight operations were suspended due to an electrical problem in the runway lighting system.
- When
- Saturday evening, starting around 5:30 PM and resolved by 10:00 PM (Local Time).
- Where
- Tribhuvan International Airport, Kathmandu, Nepal
- Why
- A short circuit in the airfield lighting system, suspected to be caused by rainwater seeping into wire lanes, affected visibility for takeoffs and landings.
Nepal's Situation
India's Situation
Technical Issue Impact
Nepal's Situation
A technical glitch in the runway lighting system at Nepal's Tribhuvan International Airport suspended all flight operations.
India's Situation
A major technical fault in the Automatic Message Switching System (AMSS) at Delhi's Indira Gandhi International Airport disrupted hundreds of flights.
Resolution Status
Nepal's Situation
Technical teams were deployed to fix the runway lights and restore operations, which resumed after four hours.
India's Situation
The issue in Delhi was completely resolved by Saturday morning, and flight operations had returned to normal.
- Airport
- Tribhuvan International Airport
- Location
- Kathmandu, Nepal
- Issue
- Electrical problem in runway lighting system (short circuit)
- Impact
- Suspension of all incoming and outgoing flights
- Duration of Disruption
- Approximately four hours
- Resumption Time
- 10:00 PM (Local Time)
- Diverted Flights
- 1 Korean Airways international flight (to New Delhi), 1 Buddha Air domestic flight (returned to Janakpur)
Sources
Flight Movement Hit In Nepal's Tribhuvan Airport After Tech Glitch In Lights Along Runway
Nepal: Flight ops suspended at Tribhuvan International Airport after runway light technical glitch
All Flights Halted At Nepal's Tribhuvan International Airport After Technical Glitch
Flight Operation in Nepal's Tribhuvan International Airport Halted Following Problem in Airfield Lighting System
Flights Halted At Nepal's Kathmandu Airport Due To Electric Problem
