Thai AirAsia flight faces suspension in Nepal
The aircraft, which had arrived from Thailand, was eventually allowed to land at Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA) in Kathmandu, but only after being held in a holding pattern for about an hour.
KATHMANDU: The Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN) has taken action against Thai AirAsia for landing in Kathmandu without the required flight permission.
The aircraft, which had arrived from Thailand, was eventually allowed to land at Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA) in Kathmandu, but only after being held in a holding pattern for about an hour.
According to CAAN spokesperson Gyanendra Bhul, Thai AirAsia’s flights to Nepal have now been temporarily suspended, and its official General Sales Agent (GSA) authorization in the country has also been revoked.
Bhul stated that Thai AirAsia’s flight permission was valid only until Saturday, and the airline had been granted a special charter permit for today’s flight. “Holding an aircraft for an extended period also raises security concerns,” he said, explaining that, for the safety and well-being of passengers, the flight was granted permission to land. “For now, all approvals for Thai AirAsia’s flights to Nepal have been revoked, and the GSA license has also been canceled.”
The TIA office confirmed that the aircraft will take passengers back to Bangkok today itself. Thai AirAsia had initially obtained permission to operate flights to Kathmandu only until October 26.
Starting today, CAAN has implemented its new international winter flight schedule, which will be in effect from Oct 27, 2024, until March 31, 2025.
The regulatory action was taken after Thai AirAsia attempted to land without the necessary authorization under the new schedule.
The airline had recently resumed flights to TIA on Oct 2, 2024.
