Arrival of TK726 in Kathmandu on Wednesday morning

Despite the multiple suicide bombings in the arrival area of Istanbul’s Ataturk International Airport on Tuesday night, the international hub has reopened for traffic.

Wednesday morning’s Turkish Airlines flight from Kathmandu to Istanbul departed as scheduled at 8:30 AM, and the airline says it is closely monitoring the incident at Ataturk International Airport and is in touch with all appropriate authorities.

Istanbul Airport handles up to 70 million passengers a year, and most passengers from Kathmandu use the airline for onward connections to Europe and the United States. Turkish is the only airline operating direct flights from Nepal to Europe.

In a statement, the airline said on Wednesday: “The safety of our passengers and crew is our top priority. We will provide regular communication with passengers … updated details about all TK flights can be followed via the official website or social media channels of Turkish Airlines.”

Meanwhile, the Madrid-based UN World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) on Wednesday strongly condemned the attack on Istanbul airport that killed at least 36 people.

“On behalf of the entire international tourism community, UNWTO conveys its heartfelt condolences to the families and friends of the victims and expresses its full solidarity with the people and the Government of Turkey,” said UNWTO Secretary-General, Taleb Rifai. “Today we were reminded once again that we are facing a global threat that requires a firm and coordinated response by all governments and the international community.”