Nepal court holds US-Bangla fully liable for 2018 crash

A Nepalese court has ruled that Bangladeshi carrier US-Bangla Airlines is liable for unlimited compensation to the victims of its 2018 crash at Kathmandu's Tribhuvan International Airport, marking a historic first in Nepal's aviation history.

The Kathmandu District Court ordered the airline to pay $2.74 million (Rs 378.6 million) to 17 affected families, including 16 deceased passengers and one survivor. The verdict, issued by Judge Diwakar Bhatta on July 20, 2025, was made public on January 20, according to The Kathmandu Post.

On March 12, 2018, a US-Bangla Bombardier Q400 flight from Dhaka to Kathmandu carrying 71 passengers and crew crashed while landing, killing 51 people. The victims included 22 Nepalis, 28 Bangladeshis, and one Chinese national. It remains the deadliest accident involving a Bangladeshi airline and the most fatal crash involving a Bombardier Dash 8 Q400.

While international aviation conventions such as the Warsaw Convention typically limit airline liability, the court ruled that US-Bangla Airlines' negligence and reckless conduct-including failure to operate an airworthy aircraft-triggered unlimited liability under Article 25. 

"Considering the nature and circumstances of the accident, the airline incurs unlimited liability for such negligent or reckless conduct," the verdict states.