Quick summary
Tribhuvan International Airport in Kathmandu now closes 10 p.m. to 8 a.m. daily for runway and taxiway maintenance, a change reported on 7 October 2026 with no end date. Domestic departures have been cut from 356 to 230 a day and autumn weekly flights from 410 to 287. Nepal stays at US advisory Level 2.
The US Embassy says do not travel to the Rasuwagadhi-Timure-Syafrubesi area of Rasuwa district after August 2026 flood damage. This article covers the advisory, the airport closure, weather and road disruption, and what to do if your trip breaks.
Tribhuvan International Airport’s nightly shutdown was reported on 7 October 2026: a 10-hour closure for runway and taxiway maintenance, with no announced end date. Nepal’s Civil Aviation Authority rebuilt the schedule around it.
The airport is not the only pressure point. Political unrest, weather-driven airport suspensions and roads closed by heavy rain can also break a trip. For travelers from North America, Europe and Australia and New Zealand, the question is whether a specific itinerary can survive those disruptions. A domestic connection may not exist on the day you need it.
A departure scheduled after 10 p.m. now falls inside the shutdown window.
What Nepal’s current travel advisory means right now
Nepal carries a Level 2 advisory, Exercise Increased Caution, from the US Embassy in Kathmandu as of 31 August 2026. That is lower than the Reconsider Travel level the country held after violent protests in September 2025. The State Department lowered Nepal to Level 2 in April 2026, and the embassy’s August update kept it there. The current advisory warns that national demonstrations and civil unrest can occur with little warning and tells travelers to avoid demonstrations and crowds.
The one hard prohibition is geographic. The embassy says do not travel to the Rasuwagadhi-Timure-Syafrubesi area of Rasuwa district, including the Nepal–China border crossing, because of flood damage and continuing rescue and recovery work after the 26 August 2026 flash flood. It also tells travelers to stay away from riverbanks, low-lying ground, damaged bridges and unstable slopes, and to follow evacuation orders from local authorities.
Level 2 is a caution, not a ban. It draws no distinction between a Kathmandu hotel and a trailhead in Solukhumbu.
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Why Kathmandu airport schedules are tighter this October
Tribhuvan International Airport now closes from 10 p.m. to 8 a.m. every day. That extends an earlier three-hour nightly closure, 1 a.m. to 4 a.m.
The Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal has rebuilt the schedule: domestic departures fell from 356 a day to 230. Autumn weekly flights fell from 410 to 287.
The cuts fall unevenly. Buddha Air’s daily flights dropped from 154 to 139. Yeti Airlines fell from 72 to 41, and other carriers were nearly halved.
Some international routes were suspended or reduced. Himalayan Airlines’ Dhaka service was canceled, and Salam Air’s Muscat service paused. Air Arabia’s Sharjah, Air India’s Delhi and Himalayan Airlines’ Beijing services were reduced. Turkish Airlines’ Istanbul and Himalayan Airlines’ Chongqing services were increased.
The work behind the closure is a NPR 15 billion project to lift runway capacity by about 25% through a parallel taxiway and expanded apron and hangar facilities.
Weather and road disruptions still affecting flights
Autumn rain and fog have closed airports beyond Kathmandu. On 25 September 2026, five airports — Bharatpur, Pokhara, Lukla, Simara and Surkhet — were closed by adverse weather and reduced visibility, while Tribhuvan International Airport ran under instrument flight rules with visibility around 3 km.
Of 134 domestic departures scheduled that Friday, 58 were Buddha Air and 27 Yeti Airlines. Shree Airlines had 23, Summit Air 10 and Tara Air 10. Sita Air had 4 and Nepal Airlines 2.
Sita Air canceled all of its flights. Tara Air and Summit Air waited for the weather to clear before flying to Lukla.
Two days later, on 27 September 2026, Bharatpur and Tumlingtar airports suspended operations entirely, and all scheduled mountain flights were grounded until conditions improved for safe navigation. Pokhara reported gradually improving visibility and prepared to resume regular services once safety thresholds were met.
Roads failed at the same time. Landslides and flooding blocked the Prithvi Highway at Krishna Bhir in Dhading district, the Karnali Highway at Gagane Khola in Dailekh district and the Koshi Highway at Alphate in Sankhuwasabha district. The Mugling–Narayanghat road, the Kanti Lokpath to Hetauda and the BP Highway between Banepa and Bardibas were also blocked. The US Embassy’s natural disaster alert lists those closures and warns that monsoon-season landslides and flash floods carry the highest risk from June through September.
International traffic held up better. On 25 September, 10 international flights landed and 9 departed while the domestic network was grounded.
What to do if your trip is disrupted
Nepal’s Immigration Department will extend foreign nationals’ visas at no cost when travel is disrupted, arranged at the airport, according to the UK FCDO’s Nepal travel advice updated on 7 October 2026. The same update warns that escalation in the Middle East is causing airspace closures and possible flight delays, and advises checking transit-country guidance, airline updates and travel insurance before departure.
Insurance is the part most travelers get wrong. The US Embassy advises buying travel health insurance that covers medical evacuation, because hospitals in Kathmandu are generally better than those elsewhere in Nepal but can be crowded and may lack equipment or medicines, and the Government of Nepal does not cover medical treatment for foreign nationals. Serious cases may need treatment outside the country. Our guide to what actually decides a Nepal insurance claim explains why the EU air safety list is not the test.
Keep the emergency numbers to hand: National Disaster Hotline 1234, Tourist Police 1144 and Weather and Flood Information 1155. Health Assistance is available on 111. Nepal Tourism Board desks at Bhrikutimandap in Kathmandu and at Tribhuvan International Airport assist stranded travelers, and the board’s general line is +977-1-535-6909.
Travelers paying for a visa on arrival should carry US dollars in small notes. Card terminals at the airport are frequently unreliable, as our visa-on-arrival guide sets out.
Where consular help and alerts differ
The disruptions and visa relief apply to every foreign passport holder. What changes by departure region is who you call and how you receive alerts.
North America. US citizens should keep the US Embassy Kathmandu line, +977-1-423-4000, plus the 24/7 number for US citizens abroad, +1-202-501-4444. From the US or Canada, the number is +1-888-407-4747. The embassy also recommends reviewing the Country Security Report and following local media.
Europe, including the UK. The UK FCDO’s Nepal advice is the page for UK travelers. UK consular assistance runs 24/7 on +977 (0)14237100 from Nepal and +44 (0)207 008 5000 from the UK. From India, the number is +91 11 2419 2100.
Plan around the nightly shutdown
Confirm your flight status directly with the airline and check it against the closure before you leave for the airport. If an itinerary depends on one specific domestic departure, whether that flight still exists on your date is the first thing to check.
- Rebook through Bhairahawa if your Kathmandu connection disappears: Gautam Buddha International Airport is being promoted as the alternative, and some agents are using Delhi.
- Buffer the airport run and read our guide to the security-check buffer at Kathmandu airport, which is longer than most travelers expect.
- Register for alerts: US citizens can enroll in the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program, STEP, for embassy alerts, and every traveler should keep their embassy’s consular number plus the Nepali hotlines.
- Watch: an announced end date for the TIA maintenance closure, and whether the Civil Aviation Authority restores the daily domestic departures it cut.
Build the closure into your booking now rather than discovering it at check-in.
Reporting by
Questions? Answers.
Is Nepal safe to travel now?
The US Embassy rates Nepal Level 2, Exercise Increased Caution, as of 31 August 2026, which is a warning to be careful rather than a ban. The only do-not-travel zone is the Rasuwagadhi-Timure-Syafrubesi area of Rasuwa district, closed after the 26 August 2026 flood.
Is there any international flight from Nepal?
Yes. Tribhuvan International Airport stayed open to international traffic on 25 September 2026, when 10 international flights landed and 9 departed while five domestic airports were closed. Some international routes have still been cut or reduced, including Himalayan Airlines’ Dhaka service and Salam Air’s Muscat service.
Do green-plate tourist buses actually run during bandhs (political strikes)?
Yes. Nepal exempts vehicles with green license plates, designated tourist buses and airport shuttles, from bandh movement restrictions, according to the US Embassy’s election security alert.
What if I’m already trekking when flights are grounded?
On 27 September 2026 all scheduled mountain flights were grounded until conditions improved for safe navigation, and Lukla was among five airports closed on 25 September 2026. Passengers were advised to check with airlines for real-time updates, and Pokhara prepared to resume once safety thresholds were met.
