TOKYO— Nepal Airlines (RA) has grounded its only operational widebody aircraft at Narita International Airport (NRT) after an engine problem disrupted its scheduled return to Kathmandu.
The Airbus widebody was due to operate the Narita-Kathmandu service on Monday, but engineers found damage to a blade inside its No. 2 engine.
The aircraft had flown from Tribhuvan International Airport (KTM) to Japan on Sunday night and was scheduled to depart Narita at 10:30 a.m. local time for a 3 p.m. arrival in Kathmandu.
Instead, 226 passengers were left waiting after the airline determined that the aircraft could not return to service until the damaged engine blade was replaced.
Nepal Airlines Jet Grounded
Nepal Airlines said one of the 26 blades in the affected engine had been damaged. The aircraft cannot be cleared to fly until the component is replaced and the necessary checks confirm that the aircraft is airworthy.
The airline is attempting to repair the aircraft at Narita and return it to service as quickly as possible. Its technical team is also working to obtain a replacement blade locally or arrange for the component to be sent from Kathmandu.
Devendra Pun, the airline’s technical spokesperson, said Nepal Airlines was discussing the availability of a suitable blade with Thai Airways in Narita.
If the component cannot be sourced there, the carrier will attempt to send one from Nepal, The Kathmandu Post reported.
226 Passengers Affected at Narita
The grounding threatens to disrupt more than the affected Narita service because Nepal Airlines has limited widebody capacity available for its international network.
The carrier currently has four aircraft, but only one widebody jet has been operating international services.
Nepal Airlines’ published schedule includes services from Kathmandu to destinations including Doha, Dubai, Kuala Lumpur, Narita, Guangzhou and Hong Kong.
The Narita-Kathmandu service is scheduled as RA434, while the airline also operates the corresponding RA433 service from Kathmandu.
The carrier said its Monday-night flight to Doha, carrying 269 passengers, could also face disruption. The return Doha-Kathmandu service scheduled for Tuesday morning, with another 269 passengers, was likewise at risk.
Fleet Shortage Deepens for Nepal
The Japan grounding comes as Nepal Airlines is already dealing with a second widebody aircraft undergoing maintenance in Italy. That aircraft was sent to Italy after engineers identified a problem involving its engine C-duct.
The airline had expected to bring the aircraft back to Nepal by late August, but it remained in Italy nearly two weeks beyond that target.
With one widebody now grounded in Japan and another still undergoing maintenance in Italy, Nepal Airlines has little spare capacity to absorb further technical disruptions.
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