The Qatar Airway’s wide-body aircraft took off from Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA) today carrying French nationals who were earlier rescued from Pokhara, Lukla and other touristic sites when the country is observing a weeklong lockdown against the coronavirus global pandemic.

TIA, country’s sole international airport, confirmed the departure of the Qatar airways aircraft carrying 304 passengers including children at 11:50 am today.

As said by TIA general manager Devendra KC, the aircraft is scheduled to return at 9: 00am Saturday to transport other French nationals back to their homes. The departing flight has been scheduled for 11:50 same day.

The Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN) has granted permission to the French Embassy here to send back its citizens to home through two chartered flights on Friday and Saturday, following the European Union urge towards that end. The Embassy of Foreign Affairs had facilitated all these procedures. As per the permission, French nationals left stranded in Nepal’s touristic destinations because of the lockdown were brought to Kathmandu, the federal capital, Friday via the flights of Buddha and Tara airline.

Several countries have started rescuing their citizens from different touristic sites in the country with the help of their respective embassies here and in coordination with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.