Kathmandu. 14 Nov: Airlines providing services using facilities at Tribhuvan International Airport have been delaying payment of dues owed to the airport. According to the airport office, those failing to clear their outstanding payments include airlines that have kept their aircraft grounded at the airport for years, as well as those currently providing domestic and international flight services.
According to Airport General Manager Hansraj Pandey, although some companies are in the process of clearing their dues, others have continued to ignore repeated reminders.
He said, “Some airlines that operated in the past but are now closed, as well as several currently operating airlines, have yet to pay their dues. Among the operating companies, Nepal Airlines Corporation, Yeti Airlines, and SpiceJet have been issued letters instructing them to immediately clear their outstanding amounts. If they do not comply promptly, flight operations may be suspended in accordance with the Airport Service Charges Regulation of the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal.”
Among those with pending dues, Nepal Airlines Corporation owes NPR 209,971,250; Yeti Airlines owes NPR 102,479,370; and the foreign airline SpiceJet owes NPR 53,704,422.
He said Himalaya Airlines recently paid NPR 250 million, while SpiceJet paid NPR 15 million. However, SpiceJet still has more than NPR 50 million remaining in dues.
According to him, Guna Airlines has yet to pay NPR 22,949,738, and Saurya Airlines has a remaining due of NPR 4,618,761.
Similarly, among the airlines that operated in the past but are now closed, Cosmic Air owes NPR 26,971,104; Necon Air owes NPR 46,385,053; Nepal Airways owes NPR 9,614,954; Shangri-La Air owes NPR 23,794,483; and Mukti Airlines has not paid NPR 2,616,008.
According to the Airport Service Charges Regulation of the Authority, airlines that fail to pay within 60 days may have their flights grounded. The regulation also states that a 30% late fee is added after failing to clear the principal amount, while discounts are available for timely payment.
The airport office collects fees for various services, including aviation safety services, air route navigation, passenger and baggage handling, security, aviation fuel supply, ground handling, landing, parking, office space, counters, hangars, and cargo services.
