Nepal Airlines and Air India incident: DGCA demands information from Nepal authorities

According to a senior official, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), India’s aviation regulator, has requested information from Nepal authorities about a recent air incident involving an Air India and Nepal Airlines aircraft, which nearly collided mid-air.

The incident occurred on Friday morning, when a Nepal Airlines plane, traveling from Kuala Lumpur to Kathmandu, and an Air India plane, traveling from New Delhi to Kathmandu, came dangerously close to each other. Fortunately, timely action from the pilots, alerted by warning systems, prevented a disaster.

Air India provided a report about the incident, and Nepal authorities are obtaining further details, as stated by the DGCA official. However, the airline off-rostered the crew of the Air India flight involved in the incident pending the outcome of the investigation.

The Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN) has also written a letter to DGCA, requesting an investigation and action against those responsible. According to CAAN spokesperson Jagannath Niroula, the watchdog has asked the Indian regulator to inform it of any necessary action taken against the guilty parties. Additionally, CAAN suspended three employees of the air traffic controller department for “carelessness” during duty hours.

Air India has not made any comment regarding the incident.

The incident has also led to calls for improved air traffic control systems in the region to ensure the safety of passengers and crew. The DGCA has said that it is working with other aviation authorities in the region to strengthen air safety measures and prevent such incidents from happening in the future.

Both Nepal Airlines and Air India have not issued any statements regarding the incident, and it is not clear if any passengers or crew members were injured or affected by the near-miss.

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