AirAsiaX has agreed to clear the pending airport service fee to Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA) after announcing to halt its scheduled flights between Malaysia and Nepal from October 2018.
The Malaysian-based low-cost carrier paid nearly Rs 230 million after the TIA authority repeatedly asked the airline company to clear the due. However, Rs 180 million is left to pay by AirAsia where Rs 50 million is a service charge and Rs 130 million is fine for delaying payment.
Raj Kumar Chhetri, General Manager of TIA stated that meeting between the manager of AirAsia and TIA authority was held a meeting on Thursday (Yesterday). The manager informed that AirAsia’s head office has committed to clear pending charges of TIA.
Chhetri informed that after receiving written notice from AirAsia to halt its scheduled flights between Malaysia and Nepal, TIA has forwarded a message to clear the left due. He also urged that the pending amount will be collected before the carrier suspends its flight operation. “If the carrier continues flight operation, we can allocate few times to clear the due but if the carrier halts operation then we will collect the money, “said GM Chhetri AirAsia has shown positive response over our decision, he added.
The carrier conducting flights with its A330 aircraft has reached in a conclusion to suspend flight operation for almost 1 year because of a shortage of air passengers. The airline has revealed that despite lack of passengers, the carrier has been conducting 4 flights weekly with 55 passengers in the present.
One of the officials of AirAsia office said that there will be 300 passengers while coming from Malaysia to Nepal but while returning only 40 passengers will be on board.
Air Asia has to pay the dues of more than two years, including airport development fees, landing and taking off fee, air transport (communication transport equipment usage) fees, security fees, room counter fees to the airport with the service fee raised by passengers.
TIA issued the public notice in the second week of November 2017 asking all airline companies to pay all due following the instruction of Investigation Committee. TIA collected worth Rs 560 million from two dozen airline companies within the timeframe.
