Air India Express Bengaluru-Kathmandu flight goes through crisis

 Bengaluru: Chaoserupted at Bengaluru’s Kempegowda International Airport (KIA) on Saturday, as frustrated passengers of an Air India Express flight bound for Kathmandu staged a protest following more than 18 hours of disruptions.

The incident, captured in videos and reports circulating on social media, highlighted passenger anger over alleged poor communication, inadequate support during delays, and repeated flight diversions due to adverse weather in Nepal.

The ordeal began on Thursday, February 26, when Air India Express Bengaluru to Kathmandu flight departed from KIA around 10:30 am, scheduled to land in Kathmandu by approximately 1:25 pm. Due to poor visibility and bad weather conditions over Kathmandu Valley, the aircraft could not land and was diverted first to Varanasi, and in some accounts, further complications arose.

Passengers reported insufficient updates from the crew and minimal refreshments, such as only a packet of biscuits during extended waits.

The same aircraft attempted the route again on Friday morning, February 27. Once more, poor visibility prevented landing in Kathmandu, leading to a diversion to Lucknow. Travelers alleged they were confined inside the aircraft for several hours after landing, exacerbating fatigue, hunger, and frustration. This sparked an onboard protest, after which the airline returned the flight to Bengaluru.

By Saturday, February 28, affected passengers, around 180 in total including a group of 37 from Karnataka on a 10-day Nepal tour, gathered near the immigration area at Terminal 2. They raised slogans against Air India Express, sat in protest, and refused to disperse, demanding accountability, better arrangements, and compensation for the wasted time and financial losses.

Air India Express issued a statement attributing the disruptions to adverse weather in Kathmandu. Spokesperson comments confirmed that flights on February 26 and 27 were diverted due to weather. An additional recovery flight operated on February 28 (Saturday) to assist stranded passengers from the prior day’s disruption, but it too was diverted for the same reason. A further recovery flight was planned for Sunday, March 1, to accommodate the affected guests.

The airline expressed regret for the inconvenience and stated that impacted passengers were offered hotel accommodation, options for complimentary rescheduling, or full refunds/cancellations.

The Kathmandu airport’s Tribhuvan International Airport (KTM) is notoriously challenging during certain seasons due to its location in a valley surrounded by mountains, making it prone to fog, low visibility, and weather-related closures or diversions, especially in late winter/early spring transitions. While February is generally drier, unusual weather patterns can still cause issues.

Passenger complaints centered not just on the unavoidable weather but on alleged mismanagement, lack of clear real-time updates, limited onboard support during long holds, and insufficient ground handling upon return.