Buddha Air flight skids off runway during landing at Nepal’s Bhadrapur airport

Kathmandu [Nepal]: A Buddha Air flight number 901 from Kathmandu to Bhadrapur skidded off the runway while landing at Bhadrapur Airport in Nepal’s Jhapa district late Friday night.

According to the officials, the aircraft was carrying 51 passengers and four crew members. No injuries were reported.

Nepal Police said the incident occurred during landing and confirmed that all passengers and crew were safely rescued.”The Buddha Air flight that took off from Kathmandu with 51 passengers and 4 crew members to Bhadrapur Airport in Jhapa District met with an accident during the landing process at Bhadrapur Airport. All individuals have been safely rescued by Nepal Police and the concerned authorities,” Nepal Police said in a post on X.

Buddha Air said the aircraft veered off the runway while landing. “The flight number 901 from Kathmandu to Bhadrapur, aircraft 9N-AMF, has veered off the runway while landing at Bhadrapur Airport. There were 51 passengers on board the aircraft. All passengers and crew [4 persons] are safe,” the airline said in a statement on X.

The airline added that a technical and relief team was being sent from Kathmandu on another aircraft to assess the situation.

“A technical and relief team is being dispatched from Kathmandu on another aircraft,” the statement said.

The flight took off at 8:23 pm from Kathmandu and was scheduled to remain overnight at Bhadrapur Airport and return to Kathmandu on the first flight the following morning, The Kathmandu Post reported.

Authorities said further details would be shared after inspections and technical assessments are completed.

The incident comes amid continued scrutiny of air safety in Nepal following a series of serious aviation accidents in recent years.

In July 2024, a Saurya Airlines Bombardier CRJ200LR crashed after taking off from Kathmandu, killing 18 of the 19 people on board.