Kathmandu: Nepal’s private carrier Saurya Airlines is set to resume flight operations after an 18-month suspension following a crash shortly after takeoff from Tribhuvan International Airport.
The airline’s aircraft was involved in an accident on 9 August 2024, leading to an immediate halt in all operations.
With flight approval now granted by the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN), Saurya Airlines has completed preparations to restart services from the first week of February, according to Managing Engineer Rajendra Adhikari. He said the airline is returning to the skies with renewed confidence and strengthened safety readiness after last year’s incident.
Initially, the airline will begin charter operations using a single aircraft. A second aircraft is expected to be ready within six months and will be deployed for scheduled commercial flights, Adhikari added. He emphasized that the company has undertaken necessary technical checks and preparations before resuming operations.
Saurya Airlines currently owns two aircraft, each with a seating capacity of 50 passengers, registered under the call signs 9M-ALE and 9N-ANM. Another aircraft, registered as 9N-AME, was the one involved in last year’s crash and is no longer in operation. The airline plans to immediately operate one aircraft, while the second will be brought into service after required maintenance and certification.
CAAN has now authorized the airline to restart services that had been grounded due to the crash. The regulator has stated that Saurya Airlines met the necessary regulatory and technical requirements to resume operations.
Saurya Airlines was originally granted its air operator certificate by CAAN on 13 November 2014. The airline’s operating license was renewed by the authority on January 18 this year, clearing the way for its return to service.
The airline has received approval to operate 50-seat CRJ aircraft on domestic routes within Nepal. According to CAAN, Saurya Airlines will serve several major internal destinations, operating round-trip flights from Kathmandu to Bhadrapur, Biratnagar, Bhairahawa, Pokhara, Nepalgunj, and Dhangadhi.
The resumption of Saurya Airlines adds to Nepal’s domestic aviation capacity at a time when passenger demand is gradually recovering.
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