Nepal Airlines is yet to pay up to Rs 340m to TIA, while Air Asia and Air India owe Rs 560m and Rs 150m

Kathmandu, March 17

Airline companies operating in the country and business enterprises and government offices operating inside Tribhuvan International Airport are yet to clear dues of more than Rs 2 billion to TIA, according to the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal — the aviation sector regulator of the country.

Presenting a report on dues at a meeting of Public Accounts Committee of the Legislature-Parliament today, CAAN stated that a number of airline companies, along with government offices and business enterprises inside TIA, were yet to clear their dues under headings including rental fee, landing charge, parking fees and airport development fund.

Airline companies that have not yet cleared dues to TIA include Nepal Airlines Corporation, Himalaya Airlines, Air India, Air Arabia, Air Asia, Bhutan Airlines and China Eastern Airlines. Department of Customs, Hotel Radisson and a few government agencies operating inside TIA are also yet to clear their dues.

According to officials at TIA, Nepal Airlines alone is yet to pay almost Rs 340 million to Nepal’s only international airport, while Air Asia and Air India have not cleared Rs 560 million and Rs 150 million, respectively.

“Nepal Airlines has been clearing its dues in instalments, while other airline companies have been asked to clear their dues as soon as possible,” said Raj Kumar Chhetri, general manager at TIA.

Meanwhile, Chhetri said TIA had been facing difficulties in collecting dues from Air Asia as the airline company had stopped operating flights to Nepal and had left the country. The Malaysian lowcost airline suspended its flights to Nepal in October due to lack of adequate number of passengers.

The Department of Customs and other government agencies inside TIA are yet to clear millions of long-standing dues, according to TIA.

“Government offices inside TIA are reluctant to clear their dues of many years running into million of rupees,” added Chhetri.