An aircraft of the Nepal Airlines Corporation today is leaving for Australia for the third time carrying rescued citizens of Australia and New Zealand. The wide body airbus A330 is chartered by the Australian Embassy in Kathmandu to rescue the citizens of Australia and New Zealand as well as those Nepalis having permanent residency status who have been stranded in Nepal due to lockdown over COVID-19 pandemic.
The flight will take place at 4:55 pm from Tribhuvan International Airport according to the flight schedule, said NAC’s Spokesperson Archana Khadka. This flight will be a first flight between federal capital of Nepal, Kathmandu and capital city of Australia, Canberra, she said. Australian government is set to rescue more than 250 citizens of Australia and New Zealand and those Nepalis with PR status stranded due to lockdown. Kuala Lumpur will be a transit for the flight to Canberra.
Prior to this, as part of the rescue operation, NAC operated flights to Brisbane on April 11 and Sydney on May 6 with rescued persons onboard since lockdown in Nepal.