Permit Issues Hold Thai AirAsia Flight in Mid-Air: Nepalese Officials Allow Landing on Humanitarian Basis

Thai AirAsia’s return to Nepal marred by expired permit issues, leaving passengers stranded mid-air. Incident raises questions on the airline’s permit management and regulatory oversight in Nepal.

In an unusual incident, a Thai AirAsia flight arriving from Bangkok was initially denied landing at Kathmandu’s Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA) due to an expired landing permit, causing it to remain in a holding pattern in Nepali airspace. Scheduled to land at 2 p.m., the aircraft was held in the skies near “Gurans Point,” roughly 13 nautical miles from Kathmandu, with hundreds of passengers onboard. 

According to TIA’s General Manager, Jagannath Niraula, the landing authorization for the Thai AirAsia flight had expired the previous day under the airport’s “Summer Schedule,” which transitioned to a “Winter Schedule” on Sunday. Despite prior knowledge of the incoming flight, the aircraft was stopped close to the airport, with regulatory officials deliberating over whether to allow landing or issue a diversion order. Ultimately, the decision was made to permit the aircraft to land on humanitarian grounds, allowing passengers to disembark safely in Kathmandu. 

The situation highlights procedural gaps in Nepal’s aviation regulatory system, raising questions about the handling of flight clearances and real-time monitoring. Although authorities are informed of scheduled arrivals before departure, such incidents indicate a need for improved coordination between Nepal’s civil aviation authority and foreign airlines to ensure flight permits are updated in line with schedule changes.