Himalaya Airlines Explained

Airline:Himalaya Airlines
Iata:H9[1]
Icao:HIM
Callsign:HIMALAYA[2]
Commenced:31 May 2016
Aoc:084/2015[3]
Fleet Size:4
Destinations:8
Headquarters:Gairidhara, Kathmandu, Nepal[4]

Himalaya Airlines (Nepali: हिमालय एयरलाइन्स), is a Nepalese airline operating from Tribhuvan International Airport in Kathmandu, Nepal. Himalaya Airlines was founded in 2014 as a joint venture between Yeti World Investment Group and Tibet Airlines. It launched operations in May 2016 with a single Airbus A320. The airline currently flies to eight destinations.

History

Himalaya Airlines is the second attempt of Yeti Airlines Group to launch an international airline based in Nepal, following the collapse of Fly Yeti in 2008.[5] It is also the second Sino-Nepali airline company after Flying Dragon Airlines. Alongside Yeti Airlines, which managed the airline through Yeti World Investment, Tibet Airlines and the Himalaya Infrastructure Fund Aviation Investment Company had stakes in the airline.[6]

In order to obtain its air operator's certificate, Himalaya Airlines leased a Jetstream 41 aircraft from Yeti Airlines and conducted its first proving flights in February 2015. Launch plans were delayed by the April 2015 Nepal earthquake.[7] The airline inducted its first aircraft, an Airbus A320, on 9 March 2016[8] and launched operations on 31 May 2016, with flights between Kathmandu and Doha.[9] Flights from Kathmandu to Colombo started in October 2016, marking the resumption of scheduled flights between Nepal and Sri Lanka after 28 years but the flights were soon suspended.[10]

In 2016, Himalaya Airlines served as the governmental aircraft of Nepal, when Prime Minister Khadga Prasad Oli used Himalaya's services on his inaugural visit to China.

The airline initially focused on unconventional routes; such as Yangon, Myanmar and Colombo, Sri Lanka as opposed to highly demanded middle-eastern destinations but they were quickly terminated. After all, Himalaya ended up operating to Dammam, Saudi Arabia as well as Abu Dhabi and Dubai in the United Arab Emirates. In the months leading to Nepal Tourism Board's Visit Nepal 2020 tourism promotion campaign, Himalaya Airlines focused on the market in China, as Chinese were ranked second among the most number of travellers that visit to Nepal. In October 2019, Himalaya Airlines launched direct service to Beijing's newly constructed Daxing International Airport making it the only airline in Nepal to connect the capitals of Nepal and China.

Despite focusing on the Chinese Market, Himalaya Airlines discontinued all flights to China in February 2020 due to the first outbreak of the Coronavirus.[11] During the COVID-19 pandemic in Nepal, Himalaya Airlines carried out rescue and evacuation charter flights[12] while all of its scheduled flights were grounded from March 2020.[13]

Corporate affairs

At the time of its establishment, Tibet Airlines held a 49% stake in Himalaya Airlines, while Yeti World Investment, an affiliate of Yeti Airlines Group owned the remaining 51%.[14] Zhao Guo Qiang was the airline's first president while Ang Tshering Sherpa served as chairman of the board until his death in 2019.[15]

In September 2019, Himalaya Airlines underwent ownership restructuring, for which the shares of Tibet Airlines were transferred to Tibet Civil Aviation Development and Investment. Subsequently, the logo and livery were changed. The blue, dark blue as well as white blend of livery and logo was changed with orange and blue combination. Though, the fuselage retained its white color.[16] Currently, Zhou Enyong serves as the president of Himalaya Airlines.[17]

The airline is headquartered in Gairidhara, Kathmandu.[18]

Destinations

Himalaya Airlines serves the following destinations as of November 2023:[19]

CountryCityAirportNotesRefs
BangladeshChittagongShah Amanat International Airport[20]
DhakaShahjalal International Airport[21]
ChinaBeijingBeijing Daxing International Airport[22]
ChangshaChangsha Huanghua International Airport[23]
ChongqingChongqing Jiangbei International Airport[24] [25] [26]
GuiyangGuiyang Longdongbao International Airport
KunmingKunming Changshui International AirportPassenger and Cargo
LhasaLhasa Gonggar Airportalign=center Passengeralign=center [27]
NanningNanning Wuxu International AirportCargo Only[28] [29]
ShanghaiShanghai Pudong International Airport
ShenzhenShenzhen Bao'an International Airport[30]
KuwaitKuwait CityKuwait International Airport[31]
MalaysiaKuala LumpurKuala Lumpur International Airport[32]
MyanmarYangonYangon International Airport[33]
NepalKathmanduTribhuvan International Airport
SiddharthanagarGautam Buddha International Airport[34]
QatarDohaDoha International Airport Special Charter
Hamad International Airport[35]
[36] |-|rowspan="2"|Saudi Arabia||Dammam||King Fahd International Airport||align=center| ||align=center|[37] |-|Riyadh||King Khalid International Airport||align=center| ||align=center|[38] |-|Sri Lanka||Colombo|||Bandaranaike International Airport||||align=center|[39] |-|rowspan="3"|United Arab Emirates||Abu Dhabi||Zayed International Airport||align=center| ||align=center|[40] |-|rowspan="2"|Dubai||Al Maktoum International Airport||||align=center|[41] |-|Dubai International Airport||align=center| ||align=center||}

Fleet

Himalaya Airlines operates the following aircraft as of May 2023:[42] [43]

Himalaya Airlines fleet
AircraftIn ServiceOrdersPassengersNote
PYTotal
Airbus A319-10012[44] 144144[45]
Airbus A320-2003 - 180180
Total42

Services

Economy Class

In Himalaya Airlines' Economy class, the seats are wide with seat pitch.[46]

Premium Economy Class

Himalaya Airlines was the first airline in Nepal to introduce a Premium Economy class.[47] It consists of 8 seats on their Airbus A320 with a four-abreast configuration. The seats were wide with seat pitch.[48] In 2020, this section of the aircraft was rebranded as the airlines' Business Class[49] but has since been deprecated.

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Himalaya Airlines . ch-aviation . 24 January 2017.
  2. Web site: 7340.2F with Change 1 and Change 2 and Change 3 . . 15 September 2016 . 24 January 2017 . 3–1–51.
  3. Web site: Civil aviation Report 2017 . Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal . 14 March 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20180907044552/http://www.caanepal.gov.np/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/Final-Report-2017.pdf . 7 September 2018 . dead .
  4. Web site: About Us. Himalaya Airlines. 7 November 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20170118094416/http://www.himalaya-airlines.com/article/about-us. 18 January 2017. dead.
  5. Web site: Air Arabia begins Nepal hub operations and launches flyyeti.com . Fly Yeti . 1 October 2018 . https://web.archive.org/web/20080206232908/http://www.flyyeti.com/Air%20Arabia%20begins%20Nepal%20hub%20operations%20and%20launches%20FlyYeti.html . 6 February 2008 . live .
  6. News: Himalaya conducts 'proving' flight . . 27 February 2015 . 1 October 2016.
  7. News: Himalaya Airlines plans to start ops by March-end . . 27 January 2016 . 1 October 2016.
  8. News: Himalaya Airlines takes delivery of first aircraft . . 10 March 2016 . 1 October 2016.
  9. News: China-Nepal JV airline to start daily Kathmandu-Doha flight . https://web.archive.org/web/20160708125002/http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2016-07/07/c_135496535.htm . dead . July 8, 2016 . . 7 July 2016 . 1 October 2016.
  10. News: Himalaya Airlines begins Kathmandu-Colombo flight . . 1 October 2016 . 1 October 2016.
  11. Web site: Himalaya to suspend China flights from February 7 . The Himalayan Times . 23 October 2022 . 29 January 2020.
  12. Web site: Himalaya Airlines Chartered flight returns from Guangzhou; Mission Accomplished . Aviation Nepal . 29 April 2020.
  13. Web site: NAC and Himalaya Airlines suspend flights to Doha. 2020-03-11. The Himalayan Times. 2020-03-24. https://web.archive.org/web/20200331131329/https://thehimalayantimes.com/business/nac-and-himalaya-airlines-suspend-flights-to-doha/. 31 March 2020. live.
  14. News: A Himalayan mess . . 2016 . 17 February 2017 . Rai, Om.
  15. Web site: About us . Himalaya Airlines . https://web.archive.org/web/20170118094416/https://www.himalaya-airlines.com/article/about-us . 18 January 2017.
  16. Web site: Prasain. Sangnam. Himalaya Airlines announces new partnership with Tibet Civil Aviation . The Kathmandu Post . 1 October 2019.
  17. Web site: Management Team . Himalaya Airlines . 1 April 2020 . 16 March 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220316033715/https://www.himalaya-airlines.com/about/corporate/management-team . dead .
  18. Web site: Corporate office address . Himalaya Airlines . 1 October 2016 . 23 February 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20190223214140/http://www.himalaya-airlines.com/address.php . dead .
  19. Web site: Flight Schedules . Himalaya Airlines . 23 October 2022 . 13 January 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220113172350/https://www.himalaya-airlines.com/travel/flight-schedules . dead .
  20. Web site: Himalaya Airlines Adds Chittagong Service From mid-May 2022 . 2022-07-15 . AeroRoutes . en-GB.
  21. Web site: Himalaya Airlines direct flight to Dhaka. The Himalayan Times. 16 July 2019.
  22. Web site: diwakar . 2019-10-27 . Himalaya Airlines becomes first Nepali airline to fly to Beijing - OnlineKhabar English News . 2022-07-18 . en-GB.
  23. Web site: Himalaya Airlines Winter 2019 network adjustment. Routes Online. 17 November 2019.
  24. Web site: Himalaya begins direct flights to Chongqing . The Kathmandu Post . 23 October 2018 . 23 October 2018.
  25. Web site: Himalaya Airlines resumes Chongqing service in late-jan 2020. Routes Online. 23 January 2020.
  26. Web site: Himalaya Airlines Dec 2023 mainland China network additions. Aeroroutes. 7 November 2023.
  27. Web site: Himalaya Airlines adds Kathmandu - Lhasa service from Jan 2024 . AeroRoutes . 27 December 2023 . 17 January 2024.
  28. Web site: Additional Kunming Cargo flight Schedule . 12 February 2023 . Twitter. Himalayan Airlines.
  29. Web site: H9 Cargo Flight Update. 12 February 2023. Twitter . Himalayan Airlines.
  30. Web site: Prasain . Sangam . As other airports institute stringent screening, TIA installs thermal scanners and a health desk . The Kathmandu Post . Kantipur Media Group . 1 February 2020.
  31. Web site: Sharma . Pankaj. 2022-07-16 . Himalaya Airlines Connects Kathmandu to Kuwait . 2022-07-18 . Aviation Nepal . en-US.
  32. Web site: RSS . Himalaya Airlines resumes direct flights to Malaysia . 2022-07-18 . My Republica . en.
  33. Web site: Airline stops Yangon to Kathmandu flights . Myanmar Times . 1 October 2018 . 18 May 2018. Thu . Ei Ei . https://web.archive.org/web/20181023195956/https://www.mmtimes.com/news/airline-stops-yangon-kathmandu-flights.html . 23 October 2018.
  34. Web site: Sharma . Pankaj . 2 November 2022 . Himalaya Airlines to start chartered flights from Bhairahawa . 6 November 2022 . Aviation Nepal.
  35. Web site: 2017-07-27 . Himalaya Airlines increases flight frequency to Doha, Qatar . 2022-07-18 . Aviation Nepal . en-US.
  36. Web site: Thirteen Airlines Will Commence Operations At Doha International Airport (DIA) . 16 October 2022 . Hamad International Airport . 16 November 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20221116114728/https://dohahamadairport.com/alert/thirteen-airlines-will-commence-operations-doha-international-airport-dia . dead .
  37. Web site: Himalaya Airlines' Festival Bonanza: Daily direct flight from Kathmandu to Dammam. Himalaya Airlines. 30 October 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20170903074206/http://www.himalaya-airlines.com/press/detail/himalaya-airlines-festival-bonanza-daily-direct-flight-from-kathmandu-to-dammam. 3 September 2017. dead.
  38. Web site: Himalaya Airlines' Festival Bonanza: Daily direct flight from Kathmandu to Dammam. Himalaya Airlines. 30 October 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20170903074206/http://www.himalaya-airlines.com/press/detail/himalaya-airlines-festival-bonanza-daily-direct-flight-from-kathmandu-to-Riyad . 3 September 2017. dead.
  39. Web site: Himalaya Airlines launches inaugural flight to Colombo . The Himalayan Times . 1 October 2018 . 13 April 2016.
  40. Web site: Direct flights to Abu Dhabi: Next destination of Himalaya Airlines. Aviation Nepal. 14 March 2019. Rai. Pinkey.
  41. Web site: Himalaya Airlines to shift its base station in Dubai from DWC to DXB Dubai International Airport. Aviation Nepal. 30 October 2017.
  42. Web site: Himalaya Airlines fleet information. 25 May 2023. 27 March 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20220327212902/https://himalaya-airlines.com/about/corporate/fleet-information. dead.
  43. Web site: Himalaya Airlines fleet details and history. PlaneSpotters. 25 May 2023.
  44. Web site: Nepal's Himalaya Airlines adds maiden A319 . CH Aviation . 28 May 2023 . 4 March 2020.
  45. Web site: Himalaya Airlines inducts brand new A319 into the to be delivered in 2021 feb fleet. Spotlight Nepal. 3 March 2020.
  46. Web site: Travel Classes . Himalaya Airlines . 24 April 2019 . 8 November 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20211108185015/https://www.himalaya-airlines.com/travel/travel-classes . dead .
  47. Web site: New Premium Economy Class booking starts now. . Himalaya Airlines . 23 October 2022. Facebook.
  48. Web site: Travel Classes . Himalaya Airlines . https://web.archive.org/web/20190226075151/http://www.himalaya-airlines.com/travel/travel-classes . 26 February 2019.
  49. Web site: Travel Classes . Himalaya Airlines . https://web.archive.org/web/20200803085156/https://himalaya-airlines.com/travel/travel-classes . 3 August 2020.

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