Nepal Airlines Faces Passenger Shortage, Halts Guangzhou Flights

Nepal Airlines Corporation (NAC) has suspended its newly launched Kathmandu–Guangzhou flights less than a month after starting them due to a severe shortage of passengers. The airline had scheduled flights for October 18 and 19 using its 158-seat Airbus A320, but only one passenger had booked for the outbound flight to China and eight for the return, prompting cancellation. NAC began Guangzhou flights on September 25, but none of its services attracted enough travelers to make the route profitable. Even during the Dashain festival, passenger numbers were low, and the first flight was delayed by 24 hours because the airline had not received flight plan approval from Chinese authorities.

While Nepal Airlines struggles on new routes, foreign carriers continue to dominate profitable sectors. From New Delhi, Indian airlines operate ten daily flights to Kathmandu, while NAC runs only one. Qatar Airways flies three times a day from Doha, and FlyDubai and Air Arabia together operate multiple daily flights from the UAE, whereas NAC serves these routes only a few times a week.

Sources say the Guangzhou route was launched under political pressure rather than commercial planning. The Ministries of Foreign Affairs and Tourism had encouraged the route for its strategic importance, but NAC failed to conduct a proper market study. The inaugural flight, promoted as a special event, was delayed due to poor preparation, hurting the airline’s reputation. Officials inside NAC warn that such politically driven decisions and mismanagement are pushing the national flag carrier toward deeper financial trouble.