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Nepal Floods 2026: Kathmandu Flight Status and Airline Change Policies

Last updated: Sep 8, 2026
Checked 8 September 2026. Kathmandu’s airport is open and every airline is flying. This flood cut roads, not flights, and the Prithvi Highway out of the valley is still severed. Where we found no policy, none was published. Confirm with your airline.
Which routes are open right now
Do not travel
Rasuwagadhi, Timure and Syabrubesi
The U.S. Embassy’s 6 September alert says do not travel to this part of Rasuwa for any reason, including the Nepal-China border crossing. That is firmer than the earlier advice to postpone non-essential trips, so treat it as a closed area rather than a judgement call. The 42km Betrawati to Rasuwagadhi road is broken at multiple points with bridges washed away, and the Rasuwagadhi customs post was destroyed. The Kerung crossing goes with it, so Tibet overland and Kailash Mansarovar trips are off.
Langtang, Gosaikunda and the Tamang Heritage Trail
Landslide debris has buried the Pasang Lhamu Highway, and the Trishuli to Mailung to Syabrubesi road was washed out at Khalte. A single-lane detour reaches Dhunche for small vehicles only and has been jamming with stuck traffic. Do not start these treks until the roads are officially cleared.
Riverbanks along the Bhote Koshi and Trishuli
One upstream lake has largely drained, but authorities are still watching other water build-ups and debris blockages behind the collapse. Fresh flooding and landslides remain possible, so stay off riverbanks, low ground and damaged bridges.
Long detour by road, fly if you can
Kathmandu to Pokhara by roadfly instead
Still severed. A 70-metre span at Krishnabhir in Dhading fell into the Trishuli river and the highway has been shut since 30 August, with another 120 metres badly damaged. Crews have since cut a track about 350 metres long and four metres wide into the hillside, roughly 20 metres above the old road. Headlines about that track are easy to misread: it is carrying excavators, fuel and construction materials, not the public, and on foot it is an emergency route only. Engineers are aiming to have the section usable by ordinary vehicles by the end of Bhadra, around 16 September, and the Prime Minister has said within the month. Until then traffic is on the Tribhuvan Highway and narrower bypasses. Flying is the dependable option.Kathmandu to Pokhara flights
Kathmandu to Chitwan by roadfly instead
The same break at Krishnabhir, so the Mugling to Narayangadh run now depends on detours. Buses of 14 seats and over are routed onto the Tribhuvan Highway, 132km of narrow bends. Chitwan itself is fine. The problem is the road, not the destination.Kathmandu to Bharatpur flights
Other highways worth checking before you set off
Krishnabhir is not the only break. The 6 September embassy alert also lists landslide closures on the Karnali Highway at Gagane Khola in Dailekh and the Koshi Highway at Alphate in Sankhuwasabha. Rain is still falling across much of the country and the Department of Roads warns that fresh closures and night-time restrictions can appear at short notice. Confirm your whole route on the day you travel, not the week before.
Practical right now
Kathmandu Valley
The flood never reached the valley. Kathmandu, Patan and Bhaktapur are operating normally, and Tribhuvan International is open with domestic and international flights running to schedule. If your own trip has been disrupted, the Nepal Tourism Board is running flood help desks at its Bhrikutimandap office and in both the domestic and international areas of the airport, on +977-1-535-6909 or [email protected], with Tourist Police on 1144.
Pokhara and Chitwan by airby air
With the highway cut at Krishnabhir, this is now the reliable way west and south. Buddha Air flies the widest domestic network, and Bharatpur for Chitwan is 25 minutes in the air.Kathmandu to Bharatpur flights
Lumbini, via Bhairahawaby air
Reaches Lumbini without touching the Prithvi Highway at all.Kathmandu to Bhairahawa flights
Janakpurby air
Independent of the damaged Rasuwa, Dhading and Prithvi corridor.Kathmandu to Janakpur flights
Annapurna and Everest regionsby air
Both sit well away from the flood zone. Annapurna is best reached by flying to Pokhara. Lukla stays weather-dependent through the monsoon.Kathmandu to Lukla flights
Now check your airline
Only one of the 27 carriers serving Kathmandu still has a change window open. Cathay Pacific’s closed on 2 September.
Qatar AirwaysQR · flies to Kathmandu from DohaOperating to scheduleFlood change policyNo flood-specific waiver published.What to doChecked on the airline’s own alerts page, no Nepal entry. Normal fare rules apply. It is the road leg after Kathmandu that needs changing.See Qatar Airways fares on WegoPrices are “from” snapshots and move with availability.
flydubaiFZ · flies to Kathmandu from DubaiOperating to scheduleFlood change policyNo flood-specific waiver published.What to doNormal fare rules apply, so check your change fee before cancelling. It is usually the road leg after Kathmandu that needs changing, not the flight.See flydubai fares on WegoPrices are “from” snapshots and move with availability.
Air ArabiaG9 · flies to Kathmandu from SharjahOperating to scheduleFlood change policyNo flood-specific waiver published.What to doNormal fare rules apply, so check your change fee before cancelling. It is usually the road leg after Kathmandu that needs changing, not the flight.See Air Arabia fares on WegoPrices are “from” snapshots and move with availability.
Air Arabia Abu Dhabi3L · flies to Kathmandu from Abu DhabiOperating to scheduleFlood change policyNo flood-specific waiver published.What to doNormal fare rules apply, so check your change fee before cancelling. It is usually the road leg after Kathmandu that needs changing, not the flight.See Air Arabia Abu Dhabi fares on WegoPrices are “from” snapshots and move with availability.
Jazeera AirwaysJ9 · flies to Kathmandu from KuwaitOperating to scheduleFlood change policyNo flood-specific waiver published.What to doNormal fare rules apply, so check your change fee before cancelling. It is usually the road leg after Kathmandu that needs changing, not the flight.See Jazeera Airways fares on WegoPrices are “from” snapshots and move with availability.
Kuwait AirwaysKU · flies to Kathmandu from KuwaitOperating to scheduleFlood change policyNo flood-specific waiver published.What to doNormal fare rules apply, so check your change fee before cancelling. It is usually the road leg after Kathmandu that needs changing, not the flight.See Kuwait Airways fares on WegoPrices are “from” snapshots and move with availability.
IndiGo6E · flies to Kathmandu from Delhi, MumbaiOperating to scheduleFlood change policyNo flood-specific waiver published.What to doNormal fare rules apply, so check your change fee before cancelling. It is usually the road leg after Kathmandu that needs changing, not the flight.IndiGo’s earlier 2026 waiver was for an unrelated airspace disruption. It has expired and never covered the floods.See IndiGo fares on WegoPrices are “from” snapshots and move with availability.
Air IndiaAI · flies to Kathmandu from DelhiOperating to scheduleFlood change policyNo flood-specific waiver published.What to doNormal fare rules apply, so check your change fee before cancelling. It is usually the road leg after Kathmandu that needs changing, not the flight.See Air India fares on WegoPrices are “from” snapshots and move with availability.
Cathay PacificCX · flies to Kathmandu from Hong KongOperating, change window closedFlood change policyClosed. The waiver needed the change to be made before 2 Sep 2026, so it has lapsed. Tickets already rebooked under it must still complete travel by 30 Sep 2026.What to doNormal fare rules apply again, so check your change fee before cancelling. If you did rebook in time, your new travel has to be finished by 30 September.Rechecked on Cathay’s own site on 8 September 2026. The Nepal notice has been taken down, it now returns a not-found page in every market we tried, and no Nepal entry remains on the latest-news listing.See Cathay Pacific fares on WegoPrices are “from” snapshots and move with availability.
Thai AirwaysTG · flies to Kathmandu from BangkokOperating to scheduleFlood change policyNo flood-specific waiver published.What to doNormal fare rules apply, so check your change fee before cancelling. It is usually the road leg after Kathmandu that needs changing, not the flight.See Thai Airways fares on WegoPrices are “from” snapshots and move with availability.
Malaysia AirlinesMH · flies to Kathmandu from Kuala LumpurOperating to scheduleFlood change policyNo flood-specific waiver published.What to doNormal fare rules apply, so check your change fee before cancelling. It is usually the road leg after Kathmandu that needs changing, not the flight.See Malaysia Airlines fares on WegoPrices are “from” snapshots and move with availability.
Batik Air MalaysiaOD · flies to Kathmandu from Kuala LumpurOperating to scheduleFlood change policyNo flood-specific waiver published.What to doNormal fare rules apply, so check your change fee before cancelling. It is usually the road leg after Kathmandu that needs changing, not the flight.See Batik Air Malaysia fares on WegoPrices are “from” snapshots and move with availability.
Singapore AirlinesSQ · flies to Kathmandu from SingaporeOperating to scheduleFlood change policyNo flood-specific waiver published.What to doNormal fare rules apply, so check your change fee before cancelling. It is usually the road leg after Kathmandu that needs changing, not the flight.See Singapore Airlines fares on WegoPrices are “from” snapshots and move with availability.
Korean AirKE · flies to Kathmandu from SeoulOperating to scheduleFlood change policyNo flood-specific waiver published.What to doNormal fare rules apply, so check your change fee before cancelling. It is usually the road leg after Kathmandu that needs changing, not the flight.See Korean Air fares on WegoPrices are “from” snapshots and move with availability.
China Southern AirlinesCZ · flies to Kathmandu from GuangzhouOperating to scheduleFlood change policyNo flood-specific waiver published.What to doNormal fare rules apply, so check your change fee before cancelling. It is usually the road leg after Kathmandu that needs changing, not the flight.See China Southern Airlines fares on WegoPrices are “from” snapshots and move with availability.
Sichuan Airlines3U · flies to Kathmandu from ChengduOperating to scheduleFlood change policyNo flood-specific waiver published.What to doNormal fare rules apply, so check your change fee before cancelling. It is usually the road leg after Kathmandu that needs changing, not the flight.See Sichuan Airlines fares on WegoPrices are “from” snapshots and move with availability.
Air ChinaCA · flies to Kathmandu from ChengduOperating to scheduleFlood change policyNo flood-specific waiver published.What to doNormal fare rules apply, so check your change fee before cancelling. It is usually the road leg after Kathmandu that needs changing, not the flight.See Air China fares on WegoPrices are “from” snapshots and move with availability.
Turkish AirlinesTK · flies to Kathmandu from IstanbulOperating to scheduleFlood change policyNo flood-specific waiver published.What to doChecked on the airline’s own alerts page, no Nepal entry. Normal fare rules apply. It is the road leg after Kathmandu that needs changing.See Turkish Airlines fares on WegoPrices are “from” snapshots and move with availability.
Biman Bangladesh AirlinesBG · flies to Kathmandu from DhakaOperating to scheduleFlood change policyNo flood-specific waiver published.What to doNormal fare rules apply, so check your change fee before cancelling. It is usually the road leg after Kathmandu that needs changing, not the flight.See Biman Bangladesh Airlines fares on WegoPrices are “from” snapshots and move with availability.
SriLankan AirlinesUL · flies to Kathmandu from ColomboOperating to scheduleFlood change policyNo flood-specific waiver published.What to doNormal fare rules apply, so check your change fee before cancelling. It is usually the road leg after Kathmandu that needs changing, not the flight.See SriLankan Airlines fares on WegoPrices are “from” snapshots and move with availability.
Druk AirKB · flies to Kathmandu from ParoOperating to scheduleFlood change policyNo flood-specific waiver published.What to doNormal fare rules apply, so check your change fee before cancelling. It is usually the road leg after Kathmandu that needs changing, not the flight.See Druk Air fares on WegoPrices are “from” snapshots and move with availability.
Bhutan AirlinesB3 · flies to Kathmandu from ParoOperating to scheduleFlood change policyNo flood-specific waiver published.What to doNormal fare rules apply, so check your change fee before cancelling. It is usually the road leg after Kathmandu that needs changing, not the flight.See Bhutan Airlines fares on WegoPrices are “from” snapshots and move with availability.
Nepal AirlinesRA · flies to Kathmandu from Dubai, Doha, Dammam, Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore, Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur, Hong Kong, GuangzhouOperating, change window openFlood change policyThe only change window still open, and it is closing. Free ticket revalidation with no rescheduling fee or penalty, on tickets issued on or before 26 Aug 2026 for travel originally set between 26 Aug and 5 Sep 2026. That original-travel window has now passed, so it only helps if your first flight fell inside it. All travel has to be completed by 16 Sep 2026. Reported to cover flights originating in Nepal.What to doIf this applies to you, go now. Revalidation is handled in person at a Nepal Airlines sales office, and every revalidated journey has to be finished by 16 September, so there is only about a week of usable travel left in it.Rechecked on 8 September 2026 and still not on Nepal Airlines’ own site. Press-reported only, so treat it as unconfirmed.See Nepal Airlines fares on WegoPrices are “from” snapshots and move with availability.
Himalaya AirlinesH9 · flies to Kathmandu from Doha, Dubai, Dammam, Kuala Lumpur, DhakaOperating to scheduleFlood change policyNo flood-specific waiver published.What to doNormal fare rules apply, so check your change fee before cancelling. It is usually the road leg after Kathmandu that needs changing, not the flight.See Himalaya Airlines fares on WegoPrices are “from” snapshots and move with availability.
Buddha AirU4 · flies to Kathmandu from Kolkata and Varanasi, plus the widest domestic networkOperating to scheduleFlood change policyNo flood-specific waiver published.What to doThe carrier most likely to solve your actual problem. It flies the sectors that replace the damaged highways: Pokhara, Bharatpur for Chitwan, Bhairahawa for Lumbini, Janakpur and Biratnagar.See Buddha Air fares on WegoPrices are “from” snapshots and move with availability.
Yeti AirlinesYT · flies from Kathmandu to Bhairahawa, Janakpur and BiratnagarOperating to scheduleFlood change policyNo flood-specific waiver published.What to doFlies Bhairahawa, Janakpur and Biratnagar. A way around the damaged Prithvi Highway, not a flight to rebook.See Yeti Airlines fares on WegoPrices are “from” snapshots and move with availability.
Shree AirlinesN9 · flies from Kathmandu to Bhairahawa and BiratnagarOperating to scheduleFlood change policyNo flood-specific waiver published.What to doFlies Bhairahawa and Biratnagar. A road substitute rather than something you need a waiver for.See Shree Airlines fares on WegoPrices are “from” snapshots and move with availability.
8 airlines fly the Gulf routes to Kathmandu. Nepal Airlines is the only one with a flood change policy.
4 airlines fly the India routes to Kathmandu. Nepal Airlines is the only one with a flood change policy.
11 airlines fly the SE & E Asia routes to Kathmandu. Nepal Airlines is the only one with a flood change policy.
5 airlines cover the remaining routes, from Istanbul, Dhaka, Colombo and Paro. None of them has published a flood change policy, so normal fare rules apply on all of them.
5 Nepali carriers fly the domestic sectors that stand in for the damaged highways. Nepal Airlines is the only one with a flood change policy.

What this means for your flight

Tribhuvan International Airport in Kathmandu is open and handling domestic and international flights, and no airline has cancelled its Kathmandu schedule. The U.S. Embassy confirmed that again on 6 September and says most destinations in Nepal remain open. The flood came down the Bhote Koshi gorge on 26 August 2026 and hit Rasuwa, Nuwakot and Dhading, north and west of the valley.

The damage is on the ground, and the main road out of Kathmandu is still cut. The Prithvi Highway has been severed at Krishnabhir in Dhading since 30 August, where a 70-metre section collapsed into the Trishuli river and another 120 metres was badly damaged. Crews have since cut a track about 350 metres long and four metres wide into the hillside, roughly 20 metres above the old road. That track is worth understanding before you read a headline about it: it is carrying excavators, fuel and construction materials, not traffic, and on foot it is an emergency route only. Engineers are working towards opening the section to ordinary vehicles by the end of Bhadra, around 16 September, and the Prime Minister has said it will open within the month. Until then traffic for Pokhara and Chitwan is on the Tribhuvan Highway and narrower bypasses.

Further north the 42km Betrawati to Rasuwagadhi road is broken at multiple points, which closes the Kerung border behind it, and landslide debris has buried the Pasang Lhamu Highway into the Langtang corridor. The embassy now says not to travel to the Rasuwagadhi, Timure and Syabrubesi area for any reason. Landslides have also closed the Karnali Highway at Gagane Khola and the Koshi Highway at Alphate, and more short-notice closures are possible while the rain lasts. Flying to Pokhara, Bharatpur, Bhairahawa or Janakpur avoids the damaged highways entirely.

One of the 27 airlines serving Kathmandu still has a change window open, and it is nearly shut. Nepal Airlines is reported to offer free revalidation on tickets issued by 26 August for travel originally set between 26 August and 5 September, with all travel completed by 16 September, though we could not find that notice on its own site. Because that original-travel window has now passed, it only helps travellers whose first flight fell inside it. Cathay Pacific’s waiver required the change to be made before 2 September, so it has lapsed and the notice has been taken down. Every other carrier is applying normal fare rules.

Common questions

Is Kathmandu airport open?

Yes. Tribhuvan International is open and handling domestic and international flights, which the U.S. Embassy confirmed again on 6 September. The 26 August flood never reached Kathmandu Valley.

Which airlines have cancelled flights to Nepal?

None, as of 8 September 2026. All 27 carriers serving Kathmandu are operating to schedule. One has a change window open, which is a different thing.

Has the Prithvi Highway reopened?

Not to the public. A track about 350 metres long and four metres wide has been cut into the hillside above the collapsed section at Krishnabhir, which is what the recent headlines describe, but it is carrying excavators and construction materials and is an emergency route on foot only. Engineers are aiming to open the section to ordinary vehicles by the end of Bhadra, around 16 September. Check it on the day before you plan to drive.

Can I get a refund on my Nepal flight?

No airline has published a flood refund. Nepal Airlines is the only carrier with a change window still open and it expires on 16 September, while Cathay Pacific’s closed on 2 September. Everyone else applies normal fare rules, so check your change fee before cancelling.

Can I still travel from Kathmandu to Pokhara or Chitwan?

By air, yes, and that is still the only dependable way. The Prithvi Highway has been severed at Krishnabhir since 30 August, where 70 metres of road fell into the Trishuli river. Traffic is on long detours. Fly to Pokhara, or to Bharatpur for Chitwan, which takes 25 minutes.

Which parts of Nepal should I avoid?

The U.S. Embassy says do not travel to the Rasuwagadhi, Timure and Syabrubesi area of Rasuwa for any reason, which takes in the Langtang trailheads and the Nepal-China border crossing. Gosaikunda is out too. Annapurna and Everest sit well away from the flood zone.

Is there still a flood risk?

Yes. One upstream lake has largely drained, but authorities are still monitoring other water build-ups and debris blockages, and rain into early September keeps fresh flooding and landslides possible along the Bhote Koshi and Trishuli rivers.

I am in Nepal and my trip is disrupted. Who can help?

The Nepal Tourism Board runs flood help desks at its Bhrikutimandap office in Kathmandu and in the domestic and international areas of Tribhuvan International Airport. Reach the board on +977-1-535-6909 or [email protected]. Tourist Police is 1144, the national disaster hotline is 1234, and weather and flood information is 1155.

Sources

Disclaimer: Wego strives to ensure all information presented in this article is accurate and up to date at the time of publication. Travel policies, prices, visa requirements, and conditions can change rapidly. We strongly recommend verifying critical details with official sources before making travel decisions. Wego does not accept liability for any inaccuracies, oversights, or changes that may occur after publication.

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