Yeti Airlines

Yeti Airlines
यती एयरलायन्स
IATA ICAO Callsign
YT NYT YETI AIRLINES
FoundedMay 1998; 25 years ago (1998-05)
AOC #037/2004
HubsTribhuvan International Airport
Focus cities
Frequent-flyer programSky Club
SubsidiariesTara Air
Fleet size5
Destinations8
HeadquartersKathmandu, Nepal
Key peopleLhakpa Sonam Sherpa, Chairman
Websitewww.yetiairlines.com
Yeti Airlines Twin Otter at Pokhara Airport (April 2000)
Yeti Airlines Jetstream 41 at Pokhara Airport (2019)
Yeti Airlines ATR 72-500 at Gautam Buddha Airport

Yeti Airlines Pvt. Ltd. (Nepali: यती एअरलाइन्स) is an airline based in Kathmandu, Nepal. The airline was established in May 1998 and received its air operator's certificate on 17 August 1998. Since 2019, Yeti Airlines is the first carbon neutral airline in Nepal and South Asia. It is the parent company of Tara Air. As of 2022, Yeti Airlines was the second-largest domestic carrier in Nepal, after Buddha Air.

History

Yeti Airlines was established by Ang Tshering Sherpa in May 1998 and received its Air Operators Certificate on 17 August 1998. It started operations with two de Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otters.

In 2009, Yeti Airlines established the subsidiary Tara Air to which it outsourced its STOL operations to airports in the rural and mountainous airports in Nepal and transferred its respective aircraft, DHC-6 Twin Otters and Dornier 228s to Tara Air.

In late 2023, it was reported that Asian Life Insurance would take over a 49% stake of Yeti Airlines and that the company would issue an IPO.

International operations

In 2007, Yeti Airlines launched Fly Yeti as a joint venture with Air Arabia. Due to political uncertainty, the airline ceased its operations in 2008.

In 2013, the European Commission banned all Nepalese airlines from entering the European airspace. This restriction is still in place as of June 2021 and specifically also names Yeti Airlines.

In 2014, Yeti Airlines launched Himalaya Airlines, another international joint venture, this time with Chinese Tibet Airlines.

Yeti World

The parent company of Yeti Airlines, Yeti World, also encompasses other touristic ventures, including hotels and resorts and further airline companies, namely Air Dynasty and Altitude Air.

In December 2019, Yeti World made headlines, as it was involved in a corruption case around Prime Minister K.P. Oli.

Destinations

Yeti Airlines offers scheduled flights to the following destinations (as of July 2023):

Destination Airport Notes
Kathmandu Tribhuvan International Airport Hub
Bajhang Bajhang Airport Terminated
Bajura Bajura Airport Terminated
Bhadrapur Bhadrapur Airport
Bhairahawa Gautam Buddha Airport
Bharatpur Bharatpur Airport Terminated
Biratnagar Biratnagar Airport
Birendranagar Surkhet Airport Terminated
Dang Dang Airport Terminated
Dhangadhi Dhangadhi Airport Terminated
Janakpur Janakpur Airport
Jitpursimara Simara Airport
Jomsom Jomsom Airport Terminated
Jumla Jumla Airport Terminated
Lamidanda Lamidanda Airport Terminated
Lukla Lukla Airport Terminated
Manang Manang Airport Terminated
Meghauli Meghauli Airport Terminated
Nepalgunj Nepalgunj Airport
Phaplu Phaplu Airport Terminated
Pokhara Pokhara Airport Terminated
Pokhara International Airport
Rara Rara Airport Terminated
Rukum Rukumkot Airport Terminated
Rukum Rukum Salle Airport Terminated
Rumjatar Rumjatar Airport Terminated
Sanphebagar Sanphebagar Airport Terminated
Taplejung Taplejung Airport Terminated
Tumlingtar Tumlingtar Airport Terminated

Yeti Airlines also operates the one-hour-long Everest Express scheduled mountain sightseeing flights from Kathmandu to Mount Everest and Annapurna Express mountain sightseeing flights from Pokhara to Annapurna Massif.

Codeshare agreements

Yeti Airlines has a codeshare agreement with its subsidiary Tara Air.

Fleet

Yeti Airlines ATR 72-500
A former Yeti Airlines BAe Jetstream 41 in 2013.
A former Yeti Airlines de Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otter in 2001

Current fleet

As of January 2024, Yeti Airlines operates the following aircraft:

Aircraft In fleet Orders Passengers Notes
C Y Total
ATR 72-500
7
72 72 One of formerly six aircraft lost as Yeti Airlines Flight 691.
Two were leased from Nordic Aviation Capital
Total 7

Historical fleet

Yeti Airlines also formerly operated these types of aircraft:

Yeti Airlines historical fleet since 1998
Aircraft Introduced Retired Notes
BAe Jetstream 41 2007 2021
de Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otter 1998 2009 Transferred to subsidiary Tara Air
Dornier 228 2009 2009 Transferred to subsidiary Tara Air
Embraer EMB 110 Bandeirante 1999 ?[clarification needed]
Embraer EMB 120 Brasilia 2000 2001
Harbin Y-12 1995 2001 Stored indefinitely at Tribhuvan International Airport
Saab 340B 2004 2007 Stored indefinitely at Tribhuvan International Airport

Accidents and incidents

  • 25 May 2004 – Yeti Airlines Flight 117: A Yeti Airlines DHC-6 Twin Otter (registration 9N-AFD) cargo flight crashed into a hill on approach to Lukla. All three crew members were killed.
  • 21 June 2006 – 2006 Yeti Airlines Twin Otter Crash: A DHC-6 Twin Otter registered as 9N-AEQ was destroyed in a rice paddy on approach to Jumla, killing all six passengers and the crew of three.
  • 8 October 2008 – Yeti Airlines Flight 101: A DHC-6 was destroyed upon landing at Lukla, killing all 18 passengers and two of the three crew. The captain was the only survivor.
  • 24 September 2016 – Yeti Airlines Flight 893: A BAe Jetstream 41 registration 9N-AIB en route from Kathmandu to Bhairahawa overran the runway while landing at Gautam Buddha Airport. None of the 29 passengers or crew of three were hurt, but the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.
  • 12 July 2019 – Yeti Airlines Flight 422: An ATR 72-500 (registration 9N-AMM) en route from Nepalgunj Airport to Tribhuvan International Airport suffered a runway excursion while landing. All 68 people on board, including the crew of four, evacuated the aircraft safely. Two of them received minor injuries and were taken to the hospital. A wet runway during the rainy season could have been the cause.
  • 29 July 2022 – Yeti Airlines Flight 672: An ATR 72-500 (registration 9N-ANG) en route from the Pokhara International Airport to Tribhuvan International Airport with 45 people on board, was climbing out of Pokhara when the left hand engine (PW127) failed prompting the crew to shut the engine down and return to Pokhara for a safe landing about 6 minutes after departure. The airport reported the left hand engine failed immediately after the aircraft became airborne.
  • 15 January 2023 – Yeti Airlines Flight 691: Yeti Airlines ATR 72-500 (registration 9N-ANC) en route from Tribhuvan International Airport to Pokhara International Airport crashed near Gharipatan, Pokhara. No one survived among the 68 passengers and four crew members on board, making it the deadliest plane crash in Nepal since 1992.

Trivia

Yeti Airlines is the current shirt sponsor of Kathmandu-based football club Himalayan Sherpa Club, who currently play in Nepal's highest football league, the Martyr's Memorial A-Division League.


This page was last updated at 2024-02-09 05:28 UTC. Update now. View original page.

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