On Wednesday, July 24, 2024, a Saurya Airlines plane crashed during takeoff from Tribhuvan International Airport in Kathmandu, Nepal, resulting in the deaths of 18 individuals, as per official reports. The plane was carrying two crew members and 17 technicians to Pokhara for scheduled maintenance work.
The Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal stated that the Bombardier CRJ-200, registered as 9N-AME, deviated to the right and crashed on the east side of the runway after takeoff at 11:15 a.m. The aircraft was set to be serviced for a month.
As confirmed by Tej Bahadur Poudyal, spokesman for Kathmandu’s Tribhuvan International Airport, the only survivor is the pilot who is currently undergoing treatment at a local hospital. Mukesh Khanal, the marketing head of Saurya Airlines, stated, “Everything was normal before the flight was ready to take off.” An investigation into the accident is ongoing.
Witnesses reported that the plane ignited upon impact. Television footage depicted firefighters fighting the raging fire, with thick, black smoke rising into the sky. A local resident who witnessed the accident said, “The plane was flying low and then tilted sharply to the right before crashing.”
This incident underscores Nepal’s problematic air safety record. Since 2000, almost 360 people have perished in plane or helicopter crashes in the country. The treacherous topography, unpredictable weather changes and the use of outdated aircraft have led to a high rate of aviation accidents.
K.P. Sharma Oli, Nepal’s Prime Minister, visited the crash site and called for patience in a social media post. An emergency cabinet session was initiated to form an investigative panel for the crash, verified by a government spokesperson. The government has pledged to enhance aviation safety standards.
The airport in Kathmandu was temporarily shut down after the accident but resumed operations within a few hours. The aircraft was set to undergo maintenance at the recently inaugurated Pokhara Regional Airport, equipped with advanced maintenance hangars.
This unfortunate event mirrors other fatal accidents in Nepal’s aviation history. In 2023, a Yeti Airlines crash claimed at least 72 lives. Earlier, in 1992, a Pakistan International Airlines Airbus crash resulted in 167 fatalities. The frequency of these accidents has led to the European Union barring Nepali carriers from entering its airspace due to safety concerns.