Dubai-Kathmandu flydubai flight with 161 passengers diverted to Lucknow after hailstorm

A Dubai-to-Kathmandu flydubai flight carrying 161 passengers was diverted to Lucknow after Kathmandu’s runway became unavailable due to a hailstorm, according to Lucknow airport officials. The aircraft involved was flydubai flight FZ539, which was originally scheduled to land in Kathmandu at 3 pm but touched down at Chaudhary Charan Charan Singh International Airport in Lucknow as a precautionary measure.

Lucknow International Airport stated that the diversion was prompted by the hailstorm that affected Kathmandu Airport’s runway, necessitating an alternate landing site. After completing the necessary ground formalities and coordination with authorities, the aircraft departed Lucknow at 4:36 pm to resume its journey to Kathmandu, with Lucknow airport providing the required operational support for the diversion.

The New Indian Express and The Times of India both reported on the diversion, confirming the 161 passengers aboard and identifying the aircraft as flydubai FZ539. Both sources note that Kathmandu’s runway disruption caused by hail made a direct landing at Kathmandu untenable, leading to the Lucknow diversion as a precautionary measure. The New Indian Express additionally highlights Lucknow’s role in handling ground support and operational assistance on arrival, and confirms the flight’s departure from Lucknow at 4:36 pm after ground formalities.

Both outlets emphasize that the diversion was a response to Kathmandu Airport’s runway being unavailable due to hail, with Kathmandu’s runway condition cited as the reason for seeking an alternate landing site. The Times of India specifically underscores Lucknow airport officials’ description of the situation as requiring a diversion following the hailstorm’s impact on Kathmandu’s runway, while The New Indian Express reiterates the same sequence and notes Lucknow’s subsequent role in facilitating the onward journey.

The available material does not provide information about injuries, medical emergencies, or casualties linked to the diversion. It centers on the operational sequence—the diversion to Lucknow, the ground handling, and the subsequent takeoff back toward Kathmandu—without reporting additional incidents arising from the event.

Ekantipur’s reporting adds that Tribhuvan International Airport in Kathmandu briefly halted operations for about 55 minutes due to hail accumulation on parts of the runway, affecting approximately 1,500 meters of the surface and causing two aircraft to be diverted. However, the provided material does not specify whether those halted operations or diversions involved the flydubai flight FZ539 or provide further details on aircraft types or final outcomes beyond the mention of the diversion due to hail. The Ekantipur report confirms the weather-related disruption at Kathmandu but does not change the core facts about the Lucknow diversion for the Flydubai flight.

Overall, the consolidated reports show a single, weather-driven incident: flydubai FZ539 diverted to Lucknow because Kathmandu’s runway was rendered unusable by hail, carrying 161 passengers, with Lucknow airport offering ground support and, after formalities, the aircraft resuming its journey to Kathmandu later in the day. The reporting from The Times of India and The New Indian Express aligns on the passenger count, the diversion rationale, the aircraft designation, and the 4:36 pm departure from Lucknow to Kathmandu, while Ekantipur provides context on Kathmandu’s temporary runway disruption due to hail. No outlet in the supplied material presents details of injuries, casualties, or additional operational anomalies beyond the diversion and subsequent departure.