BLUNDER: Airline flies its passengers to wrong destination

KATHMANDU: A singular blunder was committed by a Nepali airline when it flew its passengers to a wrong city and landed at the wrong airport as the 66 passengers who booked their flights to Janakpur instead reached Pokhara, to their unpleasant surprise.

Buddha Air, a domestic airline, departed on December 18 from Tribhuvan International Airport in Kathmandu and flew northwest to Pokhara the country’s second-biggest city. However, its intended destination was Janakpur in the southern part of the country. The two cities are more than 400-Kilometer apart.

An executive officer at the airline Astha Basnet told news media the mix-up happened due to two factors: “lapses in communication and failure to follow detailed standard operating procedure.”

The dilemma, however, was reportedly resolved smoothly as the airline followed it up with arrangements for the wronged passengers to reach the correct destination.

Even though there are no direct flights between Pokhara and Janakpur, the airline was granted special permission to fly there.

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The passengers reached their destination Janakpur safely, though a few hours behind the schedule. No mechanical issues with the plane were reported.

Due to winters, many Nepali airports open late and multiple flights leave in a short span of time.

Basnet confirmed that the airport staff will receive additional training after the mix-up. She added that the airline as modified its existing flight manuals.