Fishtail Air Explained

Airline:Fishtail Air Pvt. Ltd.
Fleet Size:4
Founded:1997
Headquarters:Sinamangal, Kathmandu
Key People:Suman Pandey (CEO)[1]
Aoc:017/2001[2]
Website:www.fishtailair.com/

Fishtail Air Pvt. Ltd., from 2018 to 2020 known as Summit Helicopters Pvt. Ltd., is a helicopter airline based at Tribhuvan International Airport in Kathmandu, Nepal, operating chartered helicopter services. The company was established in 1997 under the Air Operators Certificate issued by the Government of Nepal. The company operates domestic chartered helicopter flights throughout Nepal and rescue missions.[3] [4] It also carries out and also international chartered flights to Bhutan and India.[3]

History

The Airline was founded under the name Fishtail Air in 1997 in Kathmandu, Nepal. The airline often made headlines in local press after performing unusual yet successful rescue missions in the Himalayas.[5]

Due to the Nepalese Civil War, Fishtail Air did not operate between 2003 and 2007.[6]

In 2010, Fishtail Air was part of a documentary by Swiss Schweizer Radio und Fernsehen, titled The mountain rescuers in the Himalayas wherein the Swiss Airline Air Zermatt and Fishtail Air were establishing a mountaineering rescue station in Lukla.[7] [8] [9] At the same time, mountaineer Simone Moro started working as a pilot for Fishtail Air.[10]

In 2014, Fishtail Air signed a deal with Goma Air with the aim of enhancing Nepal's tourism. Both Airlines were at the time led by Bikash JB Rana, for which a collaboration was eased.[11] [12] Following Goma Air's name change to Summit Air,[13] in 2018, Fishtail Air changed its name to Summit Helicopters to visualize the cooperation on 11 June 2018.[14] [15] On 15 January 2020, the original name Fishtail Air was restored.[16]

Seasonally, Fishtail Air operates one helicopter from Simikot Airport, for which the airport serves as a seasonal hub of the airline. From Simikot, Mount Kailash and Lake Manasarovar are served.[17]

Fleet

The Fishtail Air fleet consists of the following aircraft (as of August 2018):[1]

Fishtail Air fleet
AircraftIn FleetOrdersPassengersNotes
CYTotal
Eurocopter AS350 B3e20055[18]
Eurocopter AS350 B3+10055[19]
Bell Jet Ranger 20610044[20]
Total40

Accidents and incidents

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Fishtail Air signs first Airbus Helicopters' HCare Smart Contract in Nepal. 3 July 2017 . Aviation Nepal. 30 September 2017.
  2. Web site: Civil Aviation Report 2017 . Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal . 1 June 2018 . 18 June 2018 . https://web.archive.org/web/20180618102551/https://www.caanepal.org.np/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/Final-Report-2017.pdf . dead .
  3. Web site: Helicopter Charter in Nepal. Fishtail Air. 1 September 2017.
  4. Web site: Fishtail Air Pvt. Ltd.. Fishtail Air. 1 September 2017. 5 December 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20151205104206/http://www.fishtailair.com/about-fishtail.php. dead.
  5. Web site: Fishtail Air & Air Zermatt carries out the highest longline rescue in history. Fishtail Air. 2 September 2017.
  6. Web site: Thakuri . Dikshya . Fishtail all set to fly again . The Himalayan Times . 6 June 2020 . 6 January 2007.
  7. Web site: Bergretter im Himalaya - Wenn der Mensch über sich hinauswächst . SRF . 1 November 2018 . de . 27 December 2012.
  8. Web site: The mountain rescuers in the Himalayas – DVD . Air Zermatt . 1 November 2018 .
  9. Web site: Swiss National Television follows Helicopter Rescue in the Himalayas . Fishtail Air . 1 November 2018 . 6 June 2011 . 16 October 2018 . https://web.archive.org/web/20181016104022/http://fishtailair.com/blog/2011/06/swiss-national-television-follows-helicopter-rescue-in-the-himalayas/ . dead .
  10. Web site: dAngella . Valentina . Himalaya, si schianta l'elicottero di Simone Moro: un morto e 5 feriti . Montagna . 1 July 2020 . it . 19 June 2013.
  11. Web site: Fishtail Air and Goma Air collaborate on Nepal tourism. 30 January 2014 . HeliHub.com. 1 September 2017.
  12. Web site: Fishtail Air and Goma Air coordinate to boost the Adventure Tourism of Nepal. Fishtail Air. 1 September 2017.
  13. Web site: "Goma Air" officially changed name to "Summit Air". 13 March 2017 . Aviation Nepal. 31 August 2018.
  14. Web site: Manandhar . Shivesh . Fishtail Air gets new official name 'Summit Helicopters' . Aviation Nepal . 31 August 2018 . 11 June 2018.
  15. Web site: Announcement of Company Name Change . Summit Helicopters . 31 August 2018 . 17 June 2018.
  16. Web site: Announcement of Company Name Change . Fishtail Air . 20 January 2020 . 13 January 2020 . 2 February 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20200202214307/http://fishtailair.com/blog/2020/01/announcement-of-company-name-change-2/ . dead .
  17. Web site: Fishtail Air moves AS350B3 to Simikot for summer season. 10 July 2017 . HeliHub.com. 2 September 2017.
  18. Web site: Eurocopter AS350 B3e . 1 October 2017.
  19. Web site: Fishtail Air Eurocopter AS350 B3+ . 1 October 2017.
  20. Web site: Fishtail Air BELL - Jet Ranger 206B. Fishtail Air. 1 October 2017.
  21. Web site: Khatri . Rishi . The princess had asked the pilot to circle Rara for a better view... . The Nepali Times . 1 August 2018 . 16 November 2001.
  22. Web site: Jan 7, 2011 . Pilots to blame for Fishtail chopper crash: Probe . https://archive.today/20140620050019/http://archives.myrepublica.com/portal/index.php?action=news_details&news_id=26902 . 20 Jun 2014 . 2014-06-20.
  23. Web site: 7 including newborn confirmed dead in Fishtail chopper crash . The Himalayan Times . 1 June 2018 . 8 August 2016.
  24. Web site: Pilot stress blamed for Fishtail chopper crash . The Kathmandu Post . 1 June 2018 . 15 January 2017.