Jazeera Airways resumes flights to Nepal via Saudi Arabia
By Raj Malla
Special to the Times Kuwait
Jazeera Airways has partially resumed commercial flights from Kuwait to Nepal via Saudi Arabia starting today. The Kuwait–Kathmandu flight service, which had been suspended after Kuwait International Airport closed due to rising tensions in the Middle East involving Israel, the United States, and Iran over the past five weeks, is now back in operation.
The first flight was organized by providing integrated services to passengers at a multipurpose hall in Mishref, Kuwait.
Nepali passport holders with a valid Kuwait Civil ID were able to receive their tickets and boarding passes from the same location after making payment in cash or by card. The service operated under flight number J9 3539, allowing each passenger to carry up to 30 kg of baggage.
Jazeera Airways arranged transportation for passengers by bus to the Saudi Arabian border, where necessary visa procedures were completed. From there, the journey continued by air from Dammam International Airport to Kathmandu.
On the occasion of the service launch, Nepal’s Ambassador to Kuwait, H.E. Ghanshyam Lamsal, and Jazeera Airways CEO Barathan Pasupathi jointly distributed boarding passes to passengers and extended ‘safe journey’ wishes.
Although the journey takes around 10 hours longer than usual and fares are relatively higher, the service has brought relief to Nepalis who had been unable to return home for nearly one and a half months due to the conflict. Despite the longer travel time, passengers have appreciated the effort by Jazeera Airways as a humanitarian initiative.
Among those present to see off passengers on the first flight were NRNA Kuwait President Bikash Singh Thakuri and Federation of Nepali Journalists Kuwait Chapter President Raj Malla Thakuri. They encouraged and bid farewell to travelers at the temporary Jazeera Airways terminal set up in Mishref.
