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Kathmandu, January 19: Hundreds of passengers are facing travel chaos as Nepal Airlines Corporation (NAC) has grounded both of its narrow-body aircraft, forcing the cancellation of several international flights.

Since Friday, 133 passengers scheduled to fly to Dubai and 111 returning from there have been accommodated in hotels at NAC’s expense. Flights to Guangzhou, Hong Kong, and Dubai were abruptly canceled, leaving travelers stranded. Videos showing passengers frustrated after being checked in and entering the sterile area have gone viral on social media.

Tensions escalated further, with reports of abuse and assault on NAC staff. One clip shows passengers physically confronting the corporation’s shift in-charge, Vijay Adhikari, outside airport police supervision after a China-bound flight was canceled.

The disruptions come as two narrow-body aircraft are grounded due to technical issues. The aircraft ‘Lumbini’ was sent to Israel for engine replacement and has yet to return, while ‘Sagarmatha’ was grounded after arriving from Bangkok on Friday night.

NAC General Manager Amritman Shrestha said repairs are underway. Necessary spare parts reached Kathmandu Saturday evening, but customs and army procedures delayed the work.

With narrow-body aircraft out of service, NAC has had to rely solely on its two wide-body planes, putting significant strain on their engines. Currently, only about 500 flight cycles remain on the Alpha Lima Yankee and about 800 on the Alpha Lima Zulu, far short of the 6,000 cycles they are designed for. Both wide-body planes are scheduled for comprehensive overhauls next month.

A NAC director warned that using wide-body aircraft for short-haul flights risks speeding up engine wear and could lead to further financial losses for the corporation.

This crisis highlights NAC’s fragile fleet management and the high cost of technical delays for Nepal’s national carrier.