Around 15,000 passengers of 80 international flights in and out from the TIA have been stranded following the crash-landing of Turkish Airlines aircrat on Wednesday.

The TIA will be kept open for 24 hours after the resumption of flight operations on Friday to ease the overflow of the stranded passengers, TIA Manager Purna Chudal said.

A team of engineers and experts of the Indian Army's Air Force that arrived earlier in the day has begun removing the Turkish Airlines aircraft from the crash site. It will take at least six hours to remove the aircraft from the current position, the official said.

“We could not meet our initial target of resuming the operation of international flights from 5 this afternoon. Now we are aiming to resume the flight operations from 10 on Friday morning,” said Manager Chudal.

Indian Air Force’s Hercules aircraft arrived here at the TIA at 1 pm with necessary equipments to clear the runway, the airport officials.

The only international airport of the country has come to a halt after a Turkish Airlines plane (TK726) skidded off the runway and veered onto the grassy shoulder after losing balance during landing on Wednesday. The aircraft was carrying 224 people aboard.

Nepal government had requested the Indian government to assist in transporting the removal kit to tow the stranded jet.

All international flights had to be cancelled as the crashed Turkish plane has blocked the runway.

TIA officials say that they are ill equipped to move the aircraft from the accident site.