Nepal’s state-owned national airline issued an apology for mistakenly depicting India’s Jammu and Kashmir as part of Pakistan on a network map shared on social media. The airline acknowledged the map’s inaccuracies regarding international boundaries, emphasizing that it does not align with Nepal’s official position or that of the airline. Nepal Airlines promptly removed the post and initiated an internal review to ensure future materials maintain accurate standards.
Archana Khadka, the spokesperson for Nepal Airlines Corporation (NAC), clarified that the error occurred during the selection of a Google map, leading to the inadvertent use of the incorrect map in the network display. The airline emphasized that the mistake was unintentional and was rectified within a few hours of being posted upon detection. The image circulated widely on social media, prompting some Indian users to call for a boycott of the airline and accusing it of “cartographic aggression.”
Nepal Airlines operates flights to various destinations, including New Delhi, West Asia, Southeast Asia, and China. The relationship between India and Nepal is marked by a longstanding partnership established in the 1950 Treaty of Peace and Friendship, characterized by open borders, substantial economic interdependence, and close cultural ties. India stands as one of Nepal’s primary development partners, with significant bilateral cooperation evident in various projects and programs receiving Indian financial and technical support.
