Grounded widebody aircraft put Nepal Airlines under Rs 900 million financial burden

Kathmandu, September 21, 2026 — Nepal Airlines Corporation (NAC) has suffered more than Rs 400 million in lost business in three weeks after both of its widebody aircraft were grounded, with the financial burden expected to reach at least Rs 900 million when estimated repair and passenger-management costs are included.

According to NAC, repairs for the two grounded aircraft are expected to cost at least Rs 500 million. An NAC engineer said the combined financial burden, including lost business, potential repair costs and additional expenses for managing affected passengers, could reach at least Rs 900 million.

The engineer said the figure was an initial estimate and that the actual loss would become clear only after the corporation’s official financial statement, final repair costs and complete passenger-management expenses are calculated.

The grounding has affected passengers who had already purchased tickets to destinations including Narita, Guangzhou, Kuala Lumpur and Dubai.

A Nepali working at the University of Tokyo, who is from Tahachal in Kathmandu, said he and three family members had to spend at least Rs 50,000 more after their flight was cancelled. They had purchased one-way tickets from NAC about one and a half months earlier for Rs 95,000 per person.

After reaching Narita Airport on Monday morning and learning that the flight had been cancelled, the family stayed for four nights at Niko Narita Hotel near the airport at NAC’s expense. They returned to Nepal on Friday morning on an alternative Cathay Pacific flight. The passenger said the additional expense for three family members was around Rs 150,000.

He said the ticket for his five-month-old daughter had initially cost Rs 10,500, but the cost rose to Rs 44,000 on the alternative flight. The ticket amount and additional expenses have yet to be reconciled, he said.

NAC arranged hotel accommodation for 226 passengers who were stranded at Narita Airport after their scheduled flight was cancelled. The passengers were sent to Nepal by various airlines using transit routes by Friday. Some passengers affected by Monday’s flight came through Bangkok, while others travelled via Malaysia.