Yeti Airlines
Yeti Airlines Pvt. Ltd. is an airline based in Kathmandu, Nepal. The airline was established in May 1998 and received its Air Operators 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 2018, Yeti Airlines was the second largest domestic carrier in Nepal, after Buddha Air, with a market share of 23.5%.
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 Do 228s to Tara Air.
Yeti Airlines and Tara Air combine to form the largest domestic airline in Nepal; the group has more than 60% of the total market share as of January 2008. Together, Yeti Airlines and Tara Air have the widest domestic flight network of any Nepali airline and fly to most destinations in Nepal.
Yeti Airlines is currently one of two operators of ATR aircraft in the nation, along with Buddha Air. Necon Air was the only other operator of ATRs in Nepal.
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 2014, Yeti Airlines launched Himalaya Airlines, another joint venture, this time with Chinese Tibet Airlines.Destinations
Yeti Airlines offers scheduled flights to the following destinations :| Destination | Airport | Notes |
| Kathmandu | Tribhuvan International Airport | |
| Bajhang | Bajhang Airport | |
| Bajura | Bajura Airport | |
| Bhadrapur | Bhadrapur Airport | |
| Bhairahawa | Gautam Buddha Airport | |
| Bharatpur | Bharatpur Airport | |
| Biratnagar | Biratnagar Airport | |
| Birendranagar | Surkhet Airport | |
| Dang | Dang Airport | |
| Dhangadhi | Dhangadhi Airport | |
| Janakpur | Janakpur Airport | |
| Jomsom | Jomsom Airport | |
| Jumla | Jumla Airport | |
| Lamidanda | Lamidanda Airport | |
| Lukla | Lukla Airport | |
| Manang | Manang Airport | |
| Meghauli | Meghauli Airport | |
| Nepalgunj | Nepalgunj Airport | |
| Phaplu | Phaplu Airport | |
| Pokhara | Pokhara Airport | |
| Rara | Rara Airport | |
| Rukum | Rukumkot Airport | |
| Rukum | Rukum Salle Airport | |
| Rumjatar | Rumjatar Airport | |
| Sanphebagar | Sanphebagar Airport | |
| Simara | Simara Airport | |
| Taplejung | Taplejung Airport | |
| Tumlingtar | Tumlingtar Airport |
Yeti Airlines also operates 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
Current Fleet
The Yeti Airlines fleet consists of the following aircraft :Former fleet
| Aircraft | Introduced | Retired | Notes |
| de Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otter | 1998 | 2009 | now operated by Tara Air |
| Dornier Do 228 | 2009 | 2009 | now operated by Tara Air |
| Embraer EMB 110 | 1999 | ? | |
| Embraer EMB 120 | 2000 | 2001 | |
| Harbin Y-12 | 1995 | 2001 | Stored/dumped at Tribhuvan International Airport |
| Saab 340-B | 2004 | ? | Stored/dumped at Tribhuvan International Airport |
Accidents and incidents
- 25 May 2004 – Yeti Airlines Flight 117: A Yeti Airlines de Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otter cargo flight crashed into a hill on approach to Lukla.
- 21 June 2006 – 2006 Yeti Airlines Twin Otter Crash: A DHC-6 Twin Otter registered 9N-AEQ was destroyed in a rice paddy field on approach to Jumla, killing all six passengers and the crew of three.
- 8 October 2008 – Yeti Airlines Flight 103: A DHC-6 was destroyed upon landing at Lukla, killing all eighteen 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. All 29 passengers and the crew of 3 were unhurt but the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.
- 1 March 2019 – Following the 2019 Taplejung helicopter crash, Yeti Airlines halted all of their flights on 1 March 2019 mourning the loss of their managing director Ang Tshering Sherpa.
- 12 July 2019 – A Yeti Airlines ATR 72-500 registration 9N-AMM en route from Nepalgunj Airport to Tribhuvan International Airport suffered a runway excursion while landing. All 68 people onboard including the crew of 4 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.
Trivia