Gulf Air Suspends Flights to Nepal After Anti-Arab Riots

Arab News

MANAMA, 2 September 2004 — Gulf Air announced yesterday it was suspending flights to Nepal for 24 hours after attacks on Arab targets in Katmandu that followed the murder of 12 Nepalese hostages in Iraq.

The airline, which operates daily flights to the Nepalese capital, “has taken immediate steps to secure the safety of its passengers and crew and closed its offices in the city,” a statement said.

“An interim ticketing facility is being set up at the airport to assist passengers and to provide commercial services,” said the airline, owned by the governments of Bahrain, Oman and Abu Dhabi. ..

An employee at Qatar Airways, one of the main airlines used by Nepalese seeking jobs in the Middle East, said dozens of angry people stormed into their premises and smashed furniture before setting the building on fire. ,,