A special Kuwait Airways flight on April 1, 2026 repatriated 318 stranded Nepali citizens along with the bodies of nine migrant workers from Kuwait to Nepal’s Gautam Buddha International Airport as a coordinated humanitarian operation. The chartered Boeing 777-300 carried out the overnight mission amid escalating military tensions across West Asia that had disrupted labor mobility and left many expatriates seeking return, according to Arab Times. Nepali authorities arranged standard arrival procedures for the passengers while preparing the remains for family handover.
Arab Times reported on April 2 that the effort formed part of broader measures to assist Nepali nationals affected by recent regional developments. Kuwaiti and Nepali officials collaborated on logistics for the landing at the Bhairahawa facility, where the aircraft delivered both living returnees and mortal remains. The nine deceased had died in Kuwait from causes unrelated to the unfolding conflict, a detail noted in separate coverage by The Kathmandu Post.
Nepal’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs data places the Nepali population in Kuwait at approximately 175,000, underscoring the scale of the expatriate community vulnerable to regional instability. A Nepal Labour Migration Report 2024 published by the Government of Nepal highlighted that Kuwait ranks among key destinations for Nepali workers, with thousands receiving labour approvals annually alongside high volumes to Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the UAE. The April operation aligns with Nepal’s suspension of new labour permits to multiple West Asian countries starting March 1, 2026 in response to security concerns, Rising Nepal Daily reported.
The Department of Foreign Employment issued more than 5,400 labour permits for Kuwait in one recent month alone, according to ministry statistics cited in regional coverage. This figure reflects sustained migration flows despite periodic disruptions, with many workers employed in construction, services and domestic roles. Repatriation flights have increased since early 2026 as conflict-related flight halts and permit pauses stranded contract workers across the Gulf.
Nepal has facilitated returns through multiple routes, including overland via Saudi Arabia for those in neighbouring states, a pattern documented in Human Rights Watch interviews with affected South Asian migrants in March 2026. Officials from Nepal’s embassy in Kuwait worked with local counterparts to identify priority cases for evacuation, including those with expired contracts or urgent needs. The Gautam Buddha Airport reception included health screenings and documentation verification for all arriving passengers.
Separate data from Nepal’s Ministry of Labour, Employment and Social Security recorded over 1,300 migrant worker deaths across destinations in 2023-24, with Kuwait among countries reporting fatalities from natural causes and workplace incidents. The nine bodies on the April flight were accompanied by proper consular documentation, ensuring swift release to families in various Nepali districts. Such coordinated returns have become a recurring feature of Nepal’s consular operations in the Gulf over the past decade.
The chartered flight marked one of several repatriation exercises conducted that week, with an earlier Nepal Airlines operation also noted in foreign ministry statements. Kuwait Airways handled the logistics under a special arrangement that allowed direct delivery to Nepal’s western airport rather than Kathmandu. This approach reduced transit times for both passengers and sensitive cargo.
