ZURICH: An Air India flight bound for Kathmandu had a minor collision with a Nepalese airline on Sunday when the collision escalated.
The “air proximity” occurred when AI Airbus-319 (VT-SCG) from Delhi was at a flight level of 19,000 feet and descended at 15,000 feet in air traffic control (ATC) clearance. However, on the same flight level, Nepal Airlines flight RNA-416 from Kuala Lumpur also arrived. There were about 200 people on the two planes, then one plane took off and the other went down to avoid a collision.
Three air traffic controllers (ATCOs) at Kathmandu airport have been suspended for this air proxy. The Air India pilot who operated flight AI 213 was unexpectedly discharged pending investigation.
“The crew of Air India immediately alerted Kathmandu air traffic control when they saw the flight coming in the other direction. ATC asked the crew of Air India to climb quickly to avoid a collision and this averted the tragedy,” said people in the know. When the AI took off, it was known that Nepal Airlines descended 7,000 feet to avoid a collision.
The Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal tweeted: “The Air Traffic Controller (ATC) involved in the traffic incident at Trafikan International Airport (between Air India and Nepal Airlines on March 24, 2023) has been withdrawn from additional surveillance.”
