Nepal Airlines, the state-owned national flag carrier of Nepal, on Thursday, 30 April 2025, issued a formal apology after its network map — shared on social media the previous day — incorrectly depicted India's Jammu and Kashmir as part of Pakistan. The airline described the depiction as a cartographic error and said the post was removed within hours of being published.

What Happened

The airline shared a network map on its official social media channels that contained what it acknowledged were "significant cartographic inaccuracies regarding international boundaries." The map quickly went viral, drawing sharp reactions from Indian users who called for a boycott of the carrier. Some users went further, accusing the airline of "cartographic aggression."

Archana Khadka, spokesperson for the Nepal Airlines Corporation (NAC), told news agency IANS that the error originated during the selection of a Google Maps base layer, which itself carried the inaccurate boundary depiction. "It was not intentional, and we removed it within 2–3 hours after it was posted when we noticed the error," she said.

The Airline's Official Apology

Nepal Airlines issued a statement on social media acknowledging the mistake and distancing itself from any political intent. "We sincerely apologise for the error in the network map recently shared on our social media channels. We have immediately removed the post and are conducting an internal review to ensure our materials meet the highest standards of accuracy," the airline stated.

It added: "We deeply value our strong relationships with our neighbours and friends in the region and regret any offence the post has caused." The airline also clarified that the map "does not reflect Nepal's official stance or that of the airlines."

India-Nepal Relations: The Broader Context

The incident comes at a diplomatically significant moment. India has proposed a visit by Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri to Kathmandu on 11–12 May, according to a report in The Kathmandu Post, citing diplomatic sources in Nepal's Foreign Ministry and the Nepali Embassy in India. The visit is seen as part of wider consultations ahead of newly-elected Nepali Prime Minister Balendra Shah's planned trip to India.

Prime Minister Shah has already accepted an invitation from Prime Minister Narendra Modi to visit India, as confirmed by Nepal's Foreign Minister Sishir Khanal, though the exact timing remains to be finalised as the new government sets its priorities.

India-Nepal relations are anchored in the 1950 Treaty of Peace and Friendship, featuring open borders, deep economic interdependence, and close cultural ties. In the fiscal year 2024–25, India emerged as Nepal's largest bilateral donor, disbursing US$107.8 million, according to Nepal's finance ministry. Dozens of projects and programmes backed by Indian economic and technical assistance are currently under implementation across Nepal.

What the Incident Signals

Nepal Airlines operates flights to New Delhi, West Asia, Southeast Asia, and China, making India one of its key market connections. The viral backlash underscores the sensitivity around cartographic representation of Jammu and Kashmir, a region whose depiction has repeatedly triggered diplomatic friction across South Asia.

The airline's swift removal of the post and its internal review commitment will likely determine whether the episode remains a social media flashpoint or escalates into a bilateral concern, particularly ahead of the high-level diplomatic engagements planned for May.