Air India Kathmandu Flight Returns To Bengaluru After 11 Hours, Fails To Land

Last Updated:February 27, 2026, 11:10 IST

The journey was plagued by atmospheric instability over Kathmandu. When the aircraft reached Nepal, the ATC denied landing permission due to poor visibility and adverse weather.

What was intended to be a serene Himalayan getaway turned into a grueling 11-hour ordeal for 180 passengers aboard an Air India flight from Bengaluru. The flight, which departed Kempegowda Airport (KIA) bound for Kathmandu, Nepal, was forced to return to its starting point on Wednesday night after failing to land due to severe weather conditions.

The 11-Hour “Journey to Nowhere"

The flight, carrying approximately 180 passengers including a group of 29 tourists from Kolar of Karnataka took off at 10:30 AM. The journey was plagued by atmospheric instability over the Kathmandu valley. When the aircraft reached Nepal, air traffic control denied landing permission due to poor visibility and adverse weather.

The pilot initially diverted the aircraft to Varanasi, India, hoping for a weather window to open. After waiting in Varanasi, a second attempt was made to fly to Kathmandu. However, the weather remained unforgiving, and for the second time, the aircraft was denied permission to touch down.

Passenger Ordeal and the Return to Bengaluru

With options exhausted, the airline made the decision to fly the passengers back to Bengaluru. The aircraft finally landed at KIA at 9:00 PM, nearly 11 hours after its initial departure. Passengers, particularly the group from Kolar organized by Samruddhi Holiday Tours, reported significant distress.

A traveller requesting anonymity said to News18, “We spent 11 hours in the air only to end up exactly where we started. The lack of clear communication and the struggle for food and refreshments during such a long delay made the experience much more exhausting."

The Technical Version: Aviation sources focus on the “Double Diversion" protocol, where the safety of the aircraft and its 180 occupants took precedence over the flight schedule due to Kathmandu’s notoriously difficult high-altitude landing conditions.

While Air India has cited “Adverse Weather" as the official cause for the return, the incident has sparked discussions regarding passenger compensation and care during international diversions. For the 29 residents of Kolar, the dream of a Nepal tour remains on hold as they recover from a day spent entirely in the sky.

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