A Turkish Airlines jet caught fire while landing at Nepal’s main airport on Monday, causing no reported injuries but forcing the airport to shut down.

The flight from Istanbul landed at Kathmandu’s Tribhuvan International Airport with fire and smoke on the right landing gear. 

Emergency crew responded and controlled the fire and passengers were safely evacuated, according to airport officials.

The airport was shut down on Monday morning. There were 277 passengers on board the Airbus 330 jet.

Several planes bound for Kathmandu were put on hold while officials were investigating and attempting to clear the only runway available at the airport.

Nepal experiences relatively frequent plane crashes as its mountainous terrain and variable weather make flying conditions difficult.

In 2015, a Turkish Airlines jet landing in dense fog in Kathmandu skidded off a slippery runway shutting down the airport for several days.

No injuries were reported, and the plane was later towed out of the airport and converted into a museum. (Gulf News)

A scary moment at Kathmandu airport as a Turkish Airlines aircraft suffered a tyre fire during landing at Tribhuvan International Airport.Thankfully all passengers and crew were evacuated safely with no casualties reported.

Source: ANI via @ScopeReport_#TurkishAirlines… pic.twitter.com/FCVlgjTfbJ

— The War Journal (@Thewarjurnal_) May 11, 2026

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Turkish Airlines has announced an increase in the frequency of flights between Istanbul and Colombo, adding two additional services per week to support stranded tourists and improve access to Sri Lanka.

According to reports, the decision follows diplomatic discussions between Sri Lanka and Türkiye, which were met with a positive reception. 

The Civil Aviation Authority of Sri Lanka (CAASL) swiftly granted the necessary approvals, enabling the airline to strengthen its presence in the country.

The expanded schedule will run from 5 April to 21 October 2026, offering greater connectivity for both inbound and outbound passengers. 

This timely move is expected to ease travel challenges, bolster Sri Lanka’s position within international aviation networks, and contribute to the continued growth of the tourism sector. (Newswire)

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Turkish Airlines, the flag carrier of Turkey, has announced a significant increase in its flight services with the addition of its sixth weekly flight between Istanbul and Colombo, Sri Lanka. 

According to the Airport and Aviation Services (Sri Lanka) (Private) Limited (AASL), Turkish Airlines will increase its flight frequency effective from May 14, 2024. 

Turkish Airlines will be increasing its weekly flights from Istanbul to Colombo, offering passengers more flexibility and convenience in their travel plans.

This strategic decision comes as part of Turkish Airlines’ commitment to meeting the growing demand for air travel between the two destinations and offering the best possible connection to those who are travelling to Istanbul and beyond.

Offering a seamless travel experience in both its full-flat bed business cabin and economy cabin in its wide-body aircraft, Turkish Airlines is known for its unparalleled levels of service excellence and exquisite culinary offerings on board while connecting travellers to 130 countries around the world.

“We are committed to Sri Lanka as a significant market for Turkish Airlines in the South Asian sub-continent and to our passengers; hence, this significant increase in frequency will offer travellers greater connectivity and more travel options,” said Fatih Bozkurt, Country Director Sri Lanka/Maldives for Turkish Airlines.

After 10 years of operations in Sri Lanka, with a leg stopping over in Male, the airline commenced direct flights from Istanbul, Turkey, to Colombo on October 30, 2023, with 4 weekly flights.

Eng. Athula Galketiya, Chairman of AASL stated: “We are happy to announce that by the end of February 2024, Sri Lanka airports had recorded 1,602,417 international passenger movements and 8,946 international aircraft movements. Compared with the same period in 2023, the growth of the increase in international passenger movements in 2024 is approximately 40.39%, while the increase in international aircraft movements is approximately 30.77 %.  Comparing the number of tourists who visited Sri Lanka by air in 2023 and 2024, the percentage of tourists arriving in 2023 shows an increase of 104.65 %, and the total tourist Arrivals by Air up to the end of February were 425,532.

Therefore, we are very much thankful to Turkish Airlines for increasing more flights to Colombo will boost our tourism industry further to greater heights, as this connectivity is key for our country to connect European destinations with Turkish Airlines”. (NewsWire)

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Turkish Airlines, the flag carrier of Turkey, will commence direct flights to Sri Lanka from October 30, 2023.

Issuing a statement, the Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA) in Katunayake said the airline will operate 4 weekly flights between Istanbul and Colombo.

The direct flights will be operated every Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday. (NewsWire)

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Turkish Airlines, the flag carrier of Turkey, will launch direct flights from Istanbul, Turkey to Colombo, Sri Lanka in October 2023. 

According to Airport and Aviation Services (Sri Lanka) (Private) Limited (AASL), the airline is launching direct flights after 10 years of operations in Sri Lanka.

This will enable Sri Lanka to quickly connect with 129 countries in the world with shorter flight and connection times at Istanbul Airport.

The direct flight will also enable to connect Sri Lanka, especially to certain North European countries where only Turkish Airlines is operating, it said. 

AASL further stated that with continuous support from Sri Lankan authorities, Turkish Airlines has expressed its support to promote Sri Lanka.

It added that the airline is also witnessing growth in European tourist reservations for November–December 2023, induced by its direct flights. (NewsWire)

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