KATHMANDU, Jan 25 – A Turkish Airlines flight scheduled to depart for Istanbul from Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA) was forced to abort its takeoff and return to the parking bay on Sunday afternoon after a technical issue was detected on the runway.
The incident involved flight TK-727, which was scheduled to depart Kathmandu at 12:35 PM. According to airport officials, the aircraft had already received air traffic control clearance and had commenced its takeoff roll when the flight crew received a warning indication in the cockpit.
Teknath Sitaula, the Acting General Manager of Tribhuvan International Airport, confirmed the incident, stating that the pilot immediately halted the aircraft upon noticing the technical indicator. “The aircraft had already started its run when an indication showed a problem. The pilot stopped the aircraft on the runway and brought it back to the parking bay for safety,” Sitaula reported.
The wide-body aircraft was safely taxied back to the parking area, where it is currently undergoing a comprehensive technical inspection by engineering teams. Airport authorities have stated that the flight will resume its journey to Istanbul only after the technical issues are resolved and the aircraft is declared airworthy.
Passengers remained safe during the incident, though the abort resulted in a delay to the flight’s original schedule. This procedure, known as a “rejected takeoff,” is a standard safety protocol exercised by pilots whenever a potential malfunction is detected before the aircraft reaches lift-off speed.