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Founded | 2020 | ||||||
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Hubs | Ramechhap Airport, Pokhara Airport | ||||||
Parent company | Buddha Air |
Yashodhara Air is an upcoming Nepalese airline set up by Buddha Air aimed at serving STOL-services to remote airfields in Nepal from two bases, Ramechhap Airport and Pokhara Airport. [1]
In 2020, Buddha Air announced first plans to enter the rural aviation market in Nepal by serving smaller STOL-airfields by Fall 2021. [2] Consequently, Yashodhara Air was set up in January 2021 with the aim of operating by 2022. [3] In November 2021, during Dubai Airshow 2021 the airline announced plans to launch in early 2023. [4]
The airline's name derives from Yashodhara, the wife of Gautama Buddha after which the parent company Buddha Air is named. [5]
The airline is supposed to operate to remote airfields from two bases at Ramechhap Airport and Pokhara Airport. [6]
The airline is mulling over using different aircraft types including Viking Air DHC-6 Twin Otter, Let L-410 and Cessna 408. [7] In November 2021, during Dubai Airshow 2021 the airline decided to purchase four Viking Air Twin Otters. [4]
The de Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otter is a Canadian STOL utility aircraft developed by de Havilland Canada in the mid-1960s and still in production today. De Havilland Canada produced it from 1965 to 1988; Viking Air purchased the type certificate, then restarted production in 2008 before re-adopting the DHC name in 2022. In 2023 DHC restarted production of the 300 series, in addition to the Series 400 produced by Viking. The aircraft's fixed tricycle undercarriage, STOL capabilities, twin turboprop engines and high rate of climb have made it a successful commuter airliner, typically seating 18–20 passengers, as well as a cargo and medical evacuation aircraft. In addition, the Twin Otter has been popular with commercial skydiving operations, and is used by the United States Army Parachute Team and the 98th Flying Training Squadron of the United States Air Force.
Nepal Airlines Corporation, formerly known as Royal Nepal Airlines, is the flag carrier of Nepal. Founded in 1958, it is the oldest airline of the country. Out of its main base at Tribhuvan International Airport, Kathmandu, the airline operates domestic services within Nepal and medium-haul services in Asia. The airline's first aircraft was a Douglas DC-3, used to serve domestic routes and a handful of destinations in India. The airline acquired its first jet aircraft, Boeing 727s, in 1972. As of February 2023, the airline operates a fleet of six aircraft. Since 2013, the airline has been on the list of air carriers banned in the European Union.
Yeti Airlines Pvt. Ltd. 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 2024, Yeti Airlines is the second-largest domestic carrier in Nepal by passengers carried and third largest by fleet size.
Buddha Air Pvt. Ltd is an airline based in Lalitpur, Nepal. It operates domestic flights within Nepal as well as international services to India, mainly Varanasi. Its main base is Tribhuvan International Airport, Kathmandu. It was the largest domestic carrier in terms of passengers carried in 2023.
Tribhuvan International Airport is an international airport located in Kathmandu, Bagmati, Nepal. It has a tabletop runway, a domestic terminal and an international terminal. As the country's main international airport, it connects Nepal to over 40 destinations in 17 countries. The airport is designed in a shape of an airplane when looked from above. The runway extending from the nose to the tail, with the terminal buildings aligned along the fuselage. The distinct shape is visible after takeoff, and while hovering.
Pokhara Airport is a domestic airport serving Pokhara in Nepal. Pokhara Airport will be gradually replaced by Nepal's third international airport, Pokhara International Airport, in 2023. While most operations were transferred to the new airport on 1 January 2023, the STOL operations to Jomsom are still operated from this airport.
Tenzing-Hillary Airport, also known as Lukla Airport, is a domestic airport and altiport in the town of Lukla, in Khumbu Pasanglhamu, Solukhumbu District, Koshi Province of Nepal. It gained worldwide fame as it was rated the most dangerous airport in the world for more than 20 years by a program titled Most Extreme Airports, broadcast on The History Channel in 2010.
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Ramechhap Airport is a domestic airport serving the municipality of Manthali, the district headquarters of Ramechhap District located in the Tamakoshi River valley in Bagmati Province in Nepal. As of October 2022, most flights to Lukla Airport are operated from Ramechhap Airport.
Tara Air Pvt. Ltd. is an airline headquartered in Kathmandu, Nepal. It is a subsidiary of Yeti Airlines. Tara Air was formed in 2009 using aircraft from the Yeti Airlines fleet and is based at Tribhuvan International Airport, with a secondary hub at Nepalgunj Airport. The airline operates scheduled flights and air charter services with a fleet of STOL aircraft, previously provided by Yeti Airlines. Its operations focus on serving remote and mountainous airports and airstrips.
Nepal Airlines Flight 555 was a short domestic scheduled flight from Pokhara Airport to Jomsom Airport in Nepal of about 20 minutes' flying time, operated by Nepal Airlines. On 16 May 2013, the de Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otter aircraft operating the flight crashed while landing at Jomsom Airport. Seven of the twenty-one on board were seriously injured. There were no fatalities, but the aircraft was damaged beyond economic repair.
Simrik Airlines Pvt. Ltd. was an airline based in Kathmandu, Nepal operating domestic scheduled flights from its base at Tribhuvan International Airport. It was the partner company of Simrik Air, a Nepalese helicopter airline operating four helicopters. It ceased operations in 2021, when it was rebranded as Guna Airlines.
Summit Air, formerly known as Goma Air, is an airline based in Kathmandu, Nepal. The airline operates from short takeoff and landing airstrips in the Western parts of Nepal. The airline received the first of two Let 410 aircraft, financed by the Czech Republic Export Bank., in October 2014, and initially only used them on flights to Lukla and Jomsom.
Air Dynasty Heli Service Pvt. Ltd. is a helicopter airline based at Tribhuvan International Airport in Kathmandu, Nepal, operating chartered helicopter services. The company was established in 1993 and mainly carries out domestic chartered helicopter flights throughout Nepal from its three hubs in Kathmandu, Pokhara, and Lukla.
Pokhara International Airport is an international airport in Pokhara, Gandaki Province, Nepal. It is located 3 km (1.9 mi) east of the old domestic airport, which it will gradually replace. The airport is Nepal's third international airport and officially began operations on 1 January 2023, with STOL-operations to Jomsom still being operated from the old airport. The airport is expected to handle up to one million passengers per year, but as of 2024 there has not been any regular international flights.