Nepal’s national carrier, Nepal Airlines Corporation (NAC), has apologised after a major controversy over a wrong map in its promotional content. The issue started on Thursday when the airline shared a route map and advertisement on its social media accounts. In that graphic, the regions of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh were incorrectly shown as part of Pakistan instead of India.

Soon after, the image spread quickly on X (formerly Twitter) and Facebook. Many Indian users criticised the airline and called the move “cartographic aggression.”

As anger grew online, the hashtag #BoycottNepalAirlines began trending. Users also tagged the Indian Ministry of External Affairs and the Civil Aviation Ministry, asking for official action.

“This is not just a ‘mistake’; it’s a violation of regional sovereignty,” wrote one user in a post that garnered thousands of shares. “A national carrier should be more responsible with international boundaries,” it said.

Airline Issues Apology

As the backlash intensified, Nepal Airlines removed the post from all platforms by 10:00 a.m. It then released an official statement explaining the mistake.

“Nepal Airlines Corporation sincerely apologizes for the inadvertent error in a recent social media post regarding the depiction of regional maps,” the statement read. “The graphic was prepared by a third-party agency and was posted without a final security and geographical audit. We hold the highest respect for the territorial integrity of all our neighboring nations.”

The airline said the error happened due to a “technical oversight” by an external creative agency.

Timing Raises Concerns

The controversy has come at a sensitive time. Regional tensions are already high due to issues around the Strait of Hormuz and the ongoing conflict in Iran. These developments are affecting trade and energy routes in the region.

At the same time, India and Nepal have been working closely to secure energy supplies and maintain stability. Because of this, the map error has drawn even more attention.

Not the First Such Incident

This is not an isolated case. In 2025, the Israeli military faced a similar situation when it used an incorrect map in a public communication before correcting it quickly.

Impact on Nepal Airlines

The incident comes at a difficult time for Nepal Airlines. The airline is currently waiting for approval of an Rs 8 billion plan to expand its fleet and increase flights to major Indian cities like Delhi and Bengaluru.

After the backlash, the airline has promised to improve its review process. It said stricter checks will be applied to all future promotional content to prevent such mistakes.