A Thai AirAsia flight from Bangkok to Kathmandu was forced to enter a holding pattern above Kathmandu after its landing permit was found expired. Scheduled to land at 2:00 PM, the aircraft was directed to hover at ‘Guras Point’ when clearance could not be granted due to the expired permit.
According to Jagannath Niraula, General Manager at Tribhuvan International Airport, the airline’s landing permission was valid only through Saturday, and as of today, the airport has transitioned to its ‘winter schedule,’ meaning the flight could not be accommodated without updated clearance. “The aircraft will now need to divert, as there is no authorization for it to remain in Nepal,” he stated.
The incident has raised questions about Nepal’s regulatory processes. Information about the flight would typically be accessible in the national flight system before departure, yet the flight was halted only upon nearing Kathmandu, just 13 nautical miles away. Airport authorities are now in discussions on whether to allow the plane to land or direct it to a new destination, highlighting potential regulatory lapses in managing international arrivals.
Source: Online Khabar
