Air India Nepal - Problems in removing the aircraft

Indian aircraft arriving Nepal to remove Turkish airbus 

KATHMANDU, March 5: Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA) is bringing a 'removal kit' from India to remove the Turkish Airline's aircraft which has got trapped on its runway and to relocate it to safety.

Hercules aircraft of Indian Air Force is coming to Kathmandu from Mumbai with the 'removal kit'.

The aircraft which is now in Delhi is flying to Kathmandu, Purna Prasad Chudal, Manager at the Civil Aviation Authority Nepal (CAAN) told myRepublica. The aircraft will land at the TIA within 1 hour and 25 minutes.

At the high level initiation of the government, the aircraft of the Indian Air Force has been demanded in Kathmandu to remove the crash-landed Turkish aircraft from the TIA runway.

"Despite constant efforts since yesterday, we have not been able to remove the Turkish aircraft," informed a TIA official, adding "We do not have an equipment to relocate such a huge airbus. That is why we are bringing a removal kit from India at the request of the government."

The international flights have been canceled since yesterday as the right wing of the Turkish aircraft has occupied some part of the runway. The aircraft of the Indian Air Force can land even at the runway with the width of five feet length.

According to a CAAN official, the Turkish aircraft will be removed from the runway safely before 4 pm today.

Since the incident, all the international flights from and to Kathmandu have been canceled for 33 hours while the domestic flights are in operation.