Thai-panic: AirAsia flight defies disaster over denied landing in India

A Thai AirAsia flight found itself in a death-defying situation straight out of a Hollywood blockbuster when it was denied permission to land at an airport in India. Passengers were left fearing for their lives as the aircraft was forced to circle for a staggering 45 minutes with only 30 minutes of fuel remaining in the tank.

The drama unfolded as the Airbus A320, captained by Mathawat Aphiratnathapong, eventually received clearance to land but was then detained for four hours at Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA) in Kathmandu, Nepal, after arriving without the necessary clearance. It was only released on Sunday, October 27, after the pilot issued a formal apology. The flight finally took off for Bangkok at 6.57pm.

TIA General Manager Jagannath Niraula explained that the pilot claimed the flight had been arranged by Nepalese agent Universal Tours and Travels, which insisted all required clearances were in place. Following the pilot’s written apology, TIA granted the release.

Prior to the chaotic landing, the plane was instructed to hold at 14,000 feet above Simara. With fuel running dangerously low, the captain desperately sought permission to land, which was ultimately granted. The flight, carrying 176 passengers to Kathmandu, was scheduled to return with 160 travellers to Bangkok.

According to sources within the tourism ministry, Universal Tours and Travels, run by Parashar Prasai, had previously organised Thai AirAsia flights with conditional approval to land in Bhairahawa from October 2.

This authorisation hinged on settling a 270 million rupee (113 million baht) debt owed by AirAsia dating back to before the pandemic. Prasai had provided a bank guarantee to clear the arrears, resulting in a conditional permit for flights to Kathmandu, with plans to shift services to Bhairahawa after a feasibility assessment.

Gyanendra Bhul, Deputy Spokesperson for the Civil Aviation Authority, clarified that the airline was lacking clearance under the winter schedule, which started on Sunday and had only been authorised for Kathmandu flights from October 2 to 27.

Nepal’s flight schedules are revised seasonally: the winter timetable runs from the last Sunday of October to the last Sunday of March, while summer flights span from late March to late October.

Efforts to contact Universal’s director, Prasai, for a comment were unsuccessful, as he did not respond to messages, The Kathmandu Post reported.