April 29: An aircraft operated by Sita Air was forced to make an emergency landing at the Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA) soon after takeoff from the airport on Monday morning.

According to the airport sources, the aircraft which was carrying passengers from Kathmandu to Ramechhap returned back to Kathmandu due to a hydraulic issue.

According to Jagannath Niraoula, General Manager of TIA, the plane departed for Ramechhap at 9:30 am but swiftly returned back after encountering the problem. Fortunately, the aircraft managed to land safely during the emergency situation, he told the state-owned RSS.

The aviation industry of Nepal has faced significant challenges in maintaining safety standards over the years.

Besides the country's difficult topography, adverse weather conditions, and limited infrastructure, all airline companies operating in Nepal use second-hand or even older aircraft for regular flights as well as cargo flights within the country.

Nepal's airliners have been on the EU's air safety blacklist since 2013 due to significant aviation security concerns.