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Nepal airline flies passengers to wrong airport
A last minute change of aircraft and communications mix-up led to 69 passengers landing at the wrong destination in Nepal.
A Buddha Air plane landed at Pokhara Airport in central Nepal although passengers were scheduled to go to Janakpur Airport.
The Pokhara flight was changed to another aircraft, but pilots were not informed of the change, the airline told The Kathmandu Post.
Pilots also failed to read the passenger manifest which would have alerted them to the change in destination.
"There was miscommunication between the ground staff and the pilot," a Buddha Air spokesperson said.
"There were weather conditions also so the pilots were more focused on flying."
Strong winds were forecast in Nepal, and late schedule changes are not uncommon to complete flights before weather conditions deteriorate.
The incident took place late last week.
Pokhara Airport is about 250 km from Janakpur.
"It’s not a safety lapse but it’s a serious lapse on the part of management. Such lapses cause passengers to suffer. On the other hand, airlines too have to bear losses," said former Director-General of the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal, Tri Ratna Manandhar.
Written by Ray Montgomery, Asia Editor
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TravelMole Editorial Team
Editor for TravelMole North America and Asia pacific regions. Ray is a highly experienced (15+ years) skilled journalist and editor predominantly in travel, hospitality and lifestyle working with a huge number of major market-leading brands. He has also cover in-depth news, interviews and features in general business, finance, tech and geopolitical issues for a select few major news outlets and publishers.
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