Nepal Airlines Cancels Doha Flights

Nepal Airlines (RA) has cancelled its scheduled Kathmandu–Doha rotations following an abrupt closure of portions of Middle Eastern airspace, citing safety and operational constraints.

The affected services include Kathmandu–Doha (RA 253) on April 25, 2026, and the return Doha–Kathmandu (RA 254) on April 26, 2026, as geopolitical tensions continue to disrupt regional aviation flows.

Nepal Airlines Kathmandu–Doha Route Disruption details

The cancelled outbound service was scheduled to depart from Tribhuvan International Airport (KTM), Kathmandu, bound for Hamad International Airport (DOH), Doha, one of the airline’s key Gulf gateways.

The return leg, typically operating within a 24-hour turnaround cycle, has also been withdrawn due to the same airspace restrictions affecting transit corridors across the Middle East.

Nepal Airlines confirmed the cancellations through an official passenger notice, stating that the decision followed “ongoing situation in Middle East and the closure of the airspace,” which rendered the routing operationally unviable.

Impact of the Middle East Airspace Closure on International Aviation Networks

Airspace closures in the Middle East (as was evidenced during the war in Iran) have historically triggered cascading disruptions across long-haul and regional networks, particularly for carriers reliant on Gulf transit hubs.

The Kathmandu–Doha sector forms part of a broader South Asia–Middle East corridor that supports labor mobility, tourism flows, and cargo connectivity. Any interruption in this corridor introduces immediate scheduling challenges and capacity shortfalls. Nepal Airlines has not elaborated on specific airspace segments affected.

This Adds to Flight Cancelations in Nepal

Nepal Airlines issued an apology for the disruption, acknowledging the inconvenience caused to passengers with confirmed bookings on the affected sectors. The airline has advised travelers to monitor its official website and social media channels for further updates, signaling that the situation remains fluid and subject to rapid change.

This situation is quite different from domestic airlines in Nepal that are canceling some of the services due to low passenger demand. Aviation fuel price has doubled in Nepal due to the conflict on the Middle East and this has led to flight fares doubling as well. We previously touched upon how this had put Nepalese airlines in a survival mode, as carriers in the nation that houses the most dangerous airport in the world have decreased their flights by as much as 40%.

Operational and Strategic Implications for Nepal Airlines

The cancellation highlights the vulnerability of Nepal Airlines’ limited widebody operations to external geopolitical shocks. Nepal Airlines operates its Airbus A330 on its Doha route. [Note that the A330 widebody scandal was the hardest to rock the Nepalese aviation sector]. Nepal’s two A330s have an average age of 7.9 years. Here are the details:

Registration	Aircraft Model	Delivery Date	Name	Age
9N-ALY	Airbus A330-200	Jun 2018	Annapurna	7.9 Years
9N-ALZ	Airbus A330-200	Jul 2018	Makalu	7.8 Years

Here’s how the carrier configures its A330s:

Nepal Airlines Airbus A330 Cabin Configuration Details

Nepal currently has no domestic competitors on this route. One thing that has stood out is why the carrier stopped operations to Doha on these two days only, given that there has been an extended ceasefire in the Iran War, which has already destroyed twenty commercial aircraft.

What Passengers Should Expect Next

Nepal will suffer heavily if the cancelations continue further, as there are 1500-3000 Nepalese who exit the country each day for foreign employment. And the gulf remains one of the go-to places for a lot of Nepalese.

Passengers affected by the cancellations may seek rebooking, refunds, or alternate travel arrangements depending on fare conditions and availability, and the carrier has urged its passengers to reach out to it for further details.