KATHMANDU: A routine domestic flight departure descended into chaos at Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA) on Friday morning (December 26) after a physical altercation broke out among passengers at a boarding gate.

The incident, captured in widely-shared cellphone videos with 214k views, shows a group of travelers engaged in a fistfight in front of the Buddha Air departure gate in the domestic terminal. The passengers, reportedly booked on the 9:30 AM U4-281 flight to Tumlingtar, Sankhuwasabha, can be seen punching and kicking each other as airline and Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN) officials look on.

The clash caused significant disruption. Eyewitnesses state that at least 11 passengers who had already received boarding passes cancelled their travel following the brawl. The flight to Tumlingtar subsequently departed with many empty seats nearly two hours behind schedule.

The precise cause of the fight remains unknown, and it is unclear if any of the involved travelers faced immediate repercussions from authorities.

The event has spotlighted serious security concerns within the airport premises. Attempts to obtain an official statement on the incident from Nepal Police, CAAN, Buddha Air, or airport management were unsuccessful, leading to accusations that authorities are attempting to downplay the serious security breach.

An investigation is presumed to be underway.

The Tourism Times will provide further updates as more information becomes available.