A Thai AirAsia aircraft, detained for four hours at Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA) after arriving without official clearance, was released on Sunday evening following an apology from its pilot-in-command. The Airbus A320, captained by Mathawat Aphiratnathapong, was allowed to depart for Bangkok at 6:57 pm after issuing a formal apology.

TIA General Manager Jagannath Niraula explained that the pilot claimed the flight had been arranged by the Nepalese agent Universal Tours and Travels, which asserted the flight had necessary clearance. Upon the pilot’s written apology, TIA authorised the plane’s release.

Earlier, the plane was instructed to hold at 14,000 feet above Simara for 45 minutes. With only 30 minutes’ fuel left, the captain requested permission to land, which was granted. The flight carried 176 passengers to Kathmandu and was scheduled to return with 160 passengers to Bangkok.

According to tourism ministry sources, Universal Tours and Travels, directed by Parashar Prasai, previously arranged Thai AirAsia flights with conditional approval to land in Bhairahawa from October 2. This authorisation was contingent on settling a Rs270 million debt owed by AirAsia prior to the Covid-19 pandemic. Prasai provided a bank guarantee to clear the arrears, leading to a conditional permit allowing flights to Kathmandu on the understanding that services would soon shift to Bhairahawa following a feasibility assessment.

The Civil Aviation Authority’s Deputy Spokesperson Gyanendra Bhul clarified that the airline lacked clearance under the winter schedule, which began on Sunday, and was only authorised for Kathmandu flights from October 2 to 27.

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

Attempts to reach Universal’s director, Prasai, for comment were unsuccessful, and he did not respond to messages.