Kathmandu, Nov. 16 -- The Department of Immigration said that airlines at Tribhuvan International Airport will be held accountable if passengers are denied boarding without a valid reason. In such cases, airlines must fully compensate travellers for any losses incurred, the department said.

Ramchandra Tiwari, the department's director general, said the move follows incidents where airlines turned passengers away without issuing boarding passes, frequently giving arbitrary reasons.

"From now on, airlines must provide a written explanation to both the passengers and the immigration desk if boarding is denied," Tiwari said. "If a passenger with complete documents is turned away without a valid reason, the airline will be fully responsible....