Kathmandu: Thai AirAsia successfully conducted its inaugural flight to Gautam Buddha International Airport today, landing at 6:45 AM and departing for Bangkok just under an hour later at 7:40 AM.
The flight was staffed by seven crew members and marks the airline’s return to the Nepalese market, following a temporary ban imposed by the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN).
The CAAN had suspended Thai AirAsia operations on September 27 for failing to adhere to regulations. The ban was lifted after the airline issued an apology and committed to following CAAN’s directives. As a condition of reinstatement, CAAN said that any halt in flights to Gautam Buddha International Airport would result in the automatic revocation of Thai AirAsia’s permission to operate at Tribhuvan International Airport in Kathmandu.
The airline plans to operate flights to and from Bhairahwa twice a week, on Sundays and Thursdays. This development comes after an incident on October 27, when a Thai AirAsia flight from Bangkok landed at Tribhuvan International Airport without the necessary winter-season flight clearance. The aircraft was held in the air for over an hour before being granted landing permission, as it had only obtained clearance under the previous summer schedule, which expired on October 26.
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