Manang Air

Manang Air
IATA ICAO Call sign
— — —
Founded1997[1]
AOC #082/2014
HubsTribhuvan International Airport
Fleet size2
HeadquartersBaneshwor, Kathmandu, Nepal
Key peopleSatis Prasad Pradhan (Executive Chairman)
Websitewww.manangair.com.np

Manang Air Pvt. Ltd. (Nepali: मनाङ एयर) is a helicopter airline based in Kathmandu, Nepal and was founded in 1997 and has been operating helicopters in commercial air transportation within the Nepalese territory under the Regulation of Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal. The company provides chartered services and is focused on personalized services such as adventure flights helicopter excursions or expedition work.[2] It is the only Approved Training Organization in Nepal.[3]

History

The airline started operations with a single Mil Mi-17 helicopter in 1997. It resumed its flights in 2014 after three years, after the company had stopped its service in 2009 after its MI-17 helicopter was involved in an accident.[4][5]

Fleet

Current fleet

The Manang Air fleet consists of the following aircraft (as of October 2022):[6]

Manang Air fleet
Aircraft In fleet Order Passengers Notes
C Y Total
Eurocopter AS350 B3e 2 0 5 5

Former fleet

Manang Air historical fleet
Aircraft Introduced Retired Notes
Mil Mi-17 1997[citation needed] 2009

Accidents and incidents

  • 15 November 2009 - A Manang Air MI-17 helicopter crashed on a cargo mission. The chopper had left Surkhet Airport at 10:30 a.m. with supplies including pipes meant for setting up a drinking water supply system in Rodikot in Humla District. The accident occurred at 11:15 a.m. A Russian flight engineer was killed in the accident, and five other people were injured.[7]
  • 10 June 2017 - A Manang Air helicopter en route to Gosainkunda from Kathmandu crash-landed at Gosainkunda Helipad incurring minor damages. There were no human casualties.[8]
  • 14 August 2018 - A Manang Air Eurocopter AS350's tail rotor hit and killed an Indian passenger upon disembarking in Hilsa, Nepal.[3] Following this, the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal temporarily suspended the airline's operations.[9]
  • 14 April 2019 - A Manang Air Eurocopter AS350 registration 9N-ALC parked at the helipad of Lukla Airport was destroyed when a Let 410 registration 9N-AMH operated by Summit Air veered of the runway while taking off for Ramechhap. Two helicopters of Manang Air were hit by the plane. The first officer of the flight died in the accident as well as two security officers on the ground near the runway. Several people were injured.[10]
  • 11 July 2023 - A Manang Air Eurocopter AS350 registration 9N-AMV crashed near Likhupike, Solukhumbu District en route from Tenzing-Hillary Airport to Tribhuvan International Airport in Kathmandu, just ten minutes after takeoff. All the five passengers (all Mexican nationals) and the pilot were killed in the accident.[11][12]
  • 14 October 2023 - A Manang Air Eurocopter AS350 registration 9N-ANJ flying from Lukla to Solukhumbu to pick up a passenger crashed near Lobuche. Captain Prakash Kumar Sedhai was injured from the fire that blew after that landing. The plant had left Lukla airport at 7:13 am and met with an accident at 7:25 am. [13]

References

  1. ^ "Company Profile". Manang Air. Retrieved 1 June 2020.
  2. ^ "Services". Manang Air. Retrieved 31 August 2018.
  3. ^ a b "Manang Air to resume its operation as CAAN concludes necessary inspection". Aviation Nepal. 27 August 2018. Retrieved 31 August 2018.
  4. ^ "Manang Air to resume flights after 3 yrs". 7 June 2014. Archived from the original on 11 June 2014. Retrieved 4 January 2015.
  5. ^ "One dead in Manang Air helicopter crash". NepalNews. Archived from the original on 4 January 2015. Retrieved 4 January 2015.
  6. ^ "Fleets". Manang Air. Retrieved 16 October 2022.
  7. ^ "Russian killed in chopper crash; probe committee formed". República. 15 November 2009. Archived from the original on 6 February 2010.
  8. ^ "Manang Air chopper crash-lands in Gosainkunda". The Himalayan Times. 10 June 2017. Retrieved 6 October 2017.
  9. ^ Karki, S. (18 August 2018). "CAAN temporarily suspends Manang Air flight operation". Aviation Nepal. Retrieved 16 October 2022.
  10. ^ Hradecky, Simon (14 April 2019). "Accident: Summit L410 at Lukla on Apr 14th 2019, runway excursion on takeoff and collision with two helicopters". The Aviation Herald. Retrieved 1 June 2020.
  11. ^ News Desk, HT (11 July 2023). "Nepal helicopter crash LIVE: All 6 aboard killed; Mexican embassy reaches out". Hindustan Times. Retrieved 11 July 2023.
  12. ^ Report, Post (11 July 2023). "All six aboard Manang Air chopper dead". The Kathmandu Post. Retrieved 11 July 2023.
  13. ^ "Everest Base Camp Helicopter Tour". Himalayan Masters. Retrieved 20 January 2024.