Buddha Air Flight With 51 Passengers Skids Off Runway While Landing In Nepal; No Casualties Reported

A late-night Buddha Air flight from Kathmandu to Bhadrapur gave passengers a major scare on Friday after the aircraft skidded off the runway while landing at Bhadrapur Airport in Nepal’s Jhapa district. The flight was carrying 51 passengers and 4 crew members, and officials have confirmed that everyone on board is safe, with no injuries reported.

Buddha Air Flight Skids Off Runway At Bhadrapur Airport

मिति २०८२।०९।१८ गते जिल्ला झापा स्थित भद्रपुर एयरपोर्टमा काठमाडौंबाट ५१ जना यात्रु र ४ जना चालक दल सहित उडेको बुद्ध एयरको विमान भद्रपुर एयरपोर्टमा ल्याण्ड गर्ने क्रममा दुर्घटना हुन पुगेको, सबैजनाको सकुशल उद्दार नेपाल प्रहरी तथा सरोकारवाला निकायद्वारा गरिएको छ । pic.twitter.com/g2dFYiQunP

— Nepal Police (@NepalPoliceHQ) January 2, 2026

According to Nepal Police, the incident took place during the landing process. The plane skidded off the runway as it landed at Bhadrapur Airport. Police and airport officials responded to the incident immediately after emergency protocols were triggered. Nepal Police assured the public that all passengers and crew had been safely rescued in a post posted on X.

#FlightAlert
काठमाडौंबाट भद्रपुर उडान संख्या 901 जहाज 9N-AMF भद्रपुर विमानस्थलमा अवतरणका क्रममा रनवेबाट बाहिरिएको छ । सो जहाजमा 51 जना यात्रु रहेका थिए । यात्रु एवं चालक दल [४ जना] सबैजना सुरक्षित रहेका छन् ।

काठमाडौंबाट अर्को जहाजमा टेक्निकल एवं रिलिफ टिम पठाउन लागिएको छ ।

— Buddha Air (@AirBuddha) January 2, 2026

Soon after, Buddha Air confirmed in a statement that the plane had veered off the runway during landing. The airline’s message made it clear that safety was not compromised, and there was no harm to those on board. To understand what caused the incident, Buddha Air announced that it is sending a technical and relief team from Kathmandu on another aircraft, India TV News reported. 

This team will assess the condition of the plane and examine the runway and landing conditions. Authorities have said that more information will be shared once inspections and technical checks are completed.

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All 51 Passengers And Crew Reported Safe

According to The Kathmandu Post via India TV News, the flight took off from Kathmandu at 8:23 pm. Initially, the flight was supposed to stay at Bhadrapur airport overnight and return to Kathmandu the next morning. However, this unexpected incident turned things around. 

Yes, it all ended without any injuries or casualties reported, but this also brings to light the importance of safety measures, especially at regional airports, where weather, visibility, runway conditions, and other factors may make landings specifically challenging.

Fortunately, all 55 crew and passengers on the flight deboarded safely. But figuring out the cause of this incident is still of utmost importance, and the investigation is currently underway.

This scary incident certainly serves as a reminder that a routine flight can turn into something stressful in the blink of an eye.

Cover Image Courtesy: Wikimedia Commons/Rui Miguel