Plane with 12 Indians on board makes emergency landing in Kathmandu

Nepal: A private airline plane operated by Sita Air, carrying 12 Indian nationals, made an emergency landing on Wednesday at Nepal’s Tribhuvan International Airport in Kathmandu after the crew detected a hydraulic system failure.

The Dornier aircraft, en route from Lukla—gateway to the Mount Everest region—to Ramechhap, approximately 140 kilometres southeast of Kathmandu, was diverted mid-flight following the detection of the technical fault, an airline official said.

According to the official, the aircraft, bearing the call sign 9N-AIE, indicated a loss of hydraulic pressure. Upon landing safely, the plane was towed to a parking bay with the help of a tractor.

There were a total of 17 people on board, including 12 Indians, two Nepalese nationals, and three crew members. All passengers and crew were reported safe, the official confirmed.