Nepal Airport Reopens After Plane Skids Off Runway

People watch a Malindo Air passenger plane after it skidded to the grassy area at the end of runway in Tribhuwan International Airport in Kathmandu, Nepal, Friday. Photo: Niranjan Shrestha / Associated Press
People watch a Malindo Air passenger plane after it skidded to the grassy area at the end of runway in Tribhuwan International Airport in Kathmandu, Nepal, Friday. Photo: Niranjan Shrestha / Associated Press

KATHMANDU — Nepal’s only international airport reopened Friday after a passenger plane attempting to take off skidded off the runway, forcing a halt to all flights.

Tribhuvan International Airport in Kathmandu said no one was injured when the Boeing 737 operated by Malindo Air skidded into the grassy area at the end of the runway Thursday night.

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All flights were canceled and thousands of passengers waited outside the terminal on Friday as authorities worked to pull out the plane.

It was finally towed safely to the hanger area, allowing the airport to resume flights at about midday.

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Malindo Air, a Malaysian airline, has regular flights between Kuala Lumpur and Kathmandu.
Last month, a Bangladeshi passenger plane crashed at the airport while attempting to land, killing 49 people on board.