Nepal GENZ Protests: Air India, Indigo To Operate Special Flights To Bring Stranded Indians From Kathmandu

Indian airlines like Air India and Indigo will carry special flights to bring home stranded Indians in Kathmandu, amidst the latest civil crisis. Nepal is burning as its youth, GenZs, continue to carry out wide-scale protests over allegations of corruption and social media bans. The wildfire-like protest has left many tourists stranded in the country, including Indians.

Air India, Indigo Special Flights To Kathmandu:

Union Minister of Civil Aviation, Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarapu, on September 10th, announced, "Due to airport closure in Nepal, many home-bound passengers were unable to return from Kathmandu."

"With the opening of the airport operation in Kathmandu, the Ministry of Civil Aviation, in coordination with Air India & IndiGo, has arranged additional flights this evening & over the next few days," added the minister. This will be alongside the normal flight services that will resume from September 11, 2025.

He also said, "Airlines have been advised to keep their fares within reasonable levels. We remain committed to supporting our passengers while ensuring their safe travel during this time."

Indigo Travel Advisory To Kathmandu:

Indigo, which is the country's largest carrier in terms of market share, said that starting from September 11, "IndiGo shall resume 04 daily scheduled flights to and from Kathmandu."

This will be in addition to two special relief flights that will operate the same day, dedicated to bringing Indian customers home safely.

"To facilitate ease of travel, these relief flights will be offered at special fares," Indigo added, "Your safety and peace of mind remain at the heart of every step we take. Stay tuned to our official channels for further updates."

Air India Travel Advisory To Kathmandu:

The Tata Group-backed airline is operating special flights from September 10 and September 10 from Delhi to Kathmandu and back to help passengers who have been stranded due to the recent developments in Nepal.

Its scheduled operations will also begin from September 11. Air India said, "We thank the government and other agencies for the quick coordination to facilitate this in the interest of our passengers."

Nepal Genz Protests:

In the early days of September, Nepal witnessed an uprising of angry youth who took to the street, protesting over alleged corruption by the government. The protest is carried predominantly by Generation Z, students and young citizens.

Although many believe that the protest turned into a wildfire after the ban of popular social media applications, the youth of Nepal broadly believe that the Prime Minister KP Oli's government has mismanaged public funds, and is corrupt considering the loud display of wealth by these officials and their families especially their children.

The movement quickly expanded to encompass broader issues of governance, transparency, and political accountability. The protests quickly escalated with violence against public officials and vandalism of government and political buildings taking place throughout the country, as per Wikipedia.

Amidst the protests, at least 20 youth lost their lives and hundred other were injured after the Nepalese security forces opened fire on them. This pushed for further anger as protestors set the Parliament building on fire along with vandalising properties of many government officials.

This also led to the resignation of Prime Minister K. P. Sharma Oli, along with many other government ministers on September 9. Majority of them have even fled Nepal.

33% of Nepalese GDP comes from remittances with hundreds of thousands of exit permits being issued, alongside 20% youth unemployment mean that these remmittances keep households afloat and pay import bills, but also indicate a lack of structural transformation in the domestic economy toward an employment-first model, pushing the youth into work in online spaces, as per Wikipedia.

Nepal Genz Vs Nepo Kids:

The Nepali government banned approximately 26 social media platforms which included Facebook, X, YouTube, LinkedIn, Reddit, Signal, and Snapchat. The GenZs believe that the ban was done because of the trends that highlighted the issue of nepotism. This means that average Nepali youth was struggling on a daily basis to meet its expenses and living, while children of these political families lived a lavish and luxurious lifestyle abroad.

Before the protest, as per the reports, an average Nepali made about $1,400 per year, while the families of Nepal's elite circle enjoyed extraordinary wealth.

Hence, the trend of 'Nepo Kids' became one of the significant reason behind the angers of Nepal's Genz.

Now, Nepal faces the crisis of forming a new government.