Summit Air (Nepal) Explained

Airline:	Summit Air
Iata:	-
Icao:	SMA
Callsign:	-
Hubs:	Tribhuvan International Airport
Fleet Size:	4
Destinations:	17
Commenced:	24 February 2011
Secondary Hubs:	Nepalgunj Airport Pokhara Airport
Key People:	Bikash Rana, Chairman Manoj Karki, MD Manish Panta, OD

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.^{[1] [2]} The airline received the first of two Let 410 aircraft, financed by the Czech Republic Export Bank.,^[3] in October 2014, and initially only used them on flights to Lukla and Jomsom.^[4]

History

The airline was founded as Goma Air in February 2011. It began to operate using Cessna Grand Caravan 208 B aircraft. In October 2014, the airline acquired one Let 410 UVP-E20 aircraft, which was the first aircraft of this type to be operated in Nepal.^[5] The airline is the only one to use Nepalgunj Airport as the main hub of operation and focuses on operating out of that base.^[6] On 13 March 2017, the airline officially changed its name to Summit Air.^[7]

In 2014, Summit Air signed a deal with Fishtail Air with the aim of enhancing Nepal's tourism. Both Airlines are led by Bikash JB Rana, for which a collaboration was eased.^{[8] [9]} Following Goma Air's name change to Summit Air, in 2018, Fishtail Air also changed its name to Summit Helicopters to visualize the cooperation,^{[10] [11]} however has since reverted its name.

Destinations

Summit Air serves the following destinations as of January 2020:^[12]

Fleet

Summit Air fleet

Aircraft	In Fleet	On Orders	Passengers			Notes
			C	Y	Total
Cessna Grand Caravan 208 B	2	^[14]	0	9	9	^[15]
Let 410 UVP-E20	4^[16]		0	18	18	Three originally delivered.
Total	4	1

Accidents and incidents

• 2 June 2015 - A Goma Air flight from Jomsom landed in Pokhara without the nose gear. All 18 passengers on board the Let 410 aircraft were safe, but the aircraft 9N-AKY suffered damage in the nose wheel part.^[17]
• 12 January 2017 - A Let 410 Turbolet, registration 9N-AKZ, of Goma Air outbound from Nepalgunj to Mugu experienced a tyre burst incident during landing at Talcha Airport. All the 15 passengers reported to be safe.^[18]
• 27 May 2017 - Summit Air Flight 409 crashed on final approach to Lukla Airport. The aircraft, a Let 410, Registration 9N-AKY, crashed into the rock-wall 5m-10mm (16feet-30feetm) below the runway. From the 3 person crew the Flight Senior Captain Paras Kumar Rai was killed in the crash, Co-Pilot Shrizan Manandhar died undergoing treatment at the scene, the Air Hostesses Pragya Maharjan was injured and airlifted to Kathmandu for further treatment.^[19]
• 14 April 2019 - A Let 410 Turbolet, registration 9N-AMH, crashed at Lukla Airport. The aircraft was taking off from runway 24 when shortly after starting its run the nose is seen to dip and the plane deviate slightly to the left before the nose lifts again and the plane veers off the runway to the right onto the helicopter apron impacting two helicopters of Manang Air and Shree Air. 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.^[20]
• 20 March 2020 – A Summit Air Let 410 en route from Lukla to Kathmandu made an emergency landing at Ramechhap Airport due to an engine failure. All of the crew and passengers evacuated the aircraft safely.^[21]
• 17 April 2022 - Summit Air SMA 407 en route from Kathmandu to Lukla made an emergency landing at Tribhuvan international airport due to engine failure. 15 passengers and 3 crew members on board are safe. ^[22]

Notes and References

1. Web site: Goma Air. 4 January 2015.
2. Web site: Goma Air successfully conducts test flight. 4 January 2015.
3. Web site: Goma Air to fly to Lukla and Jomsom. The Himalayan Times. 13 October 2014.
4. http://www.ch-aviation.com/portal/news/31936-nepals-goma-air-takes-delivery-of-first-let-410 CH Aviation
5. Web site: About us. Summit Air. 12 October 2017.
6. Web site: Airliners in Nepal: Risk taker Goma Air(गोमा एयर) providing service in remote areas of the country. Aviation Nepal. 12 October 2017.
7. Web site: "Goma Air" officially changed name to "Summit Air". 13 March 2017. Aviation Nepal. 15 March 2017. 11.
8. Web site: Fishtail Air and Goma Air collaborate on Nepal tourism. 30 January 2014. HeliHub.com. 1 September 2017.
9. Web site: Fishtail Air and Goma Air coordinate to boost the Adventure Tourism of Nepal. Fishtail Air. 1 September 2017.
10. Web site: Manandhar . Shivesh . Fishtail Air gets new official name 'Summit Helicopters' . Aviation Nepal . 31 August 2018 . 11 June 2018.
11. Web site: Announcement of Company Name Change . Summit Helicopters . 31 August 2018 . 17 June 2018.
12. Web site: Network-of-Summit-Air . Summit Air . 5 January 2022.
13. Web site: Achham-Dhangadi flight initiated . Aviation Nepal . 22 March 2019 . 22 March 2019.
14. Web site: New LET L410 aircraft arriving for Summit Air . Aviation Nepal . 7 September 2019.
15. Web site: Goma Air flight for western districts. 4 January 2015.
16. Web site: Newly arrived LET 410 UVPE-20 for Summit Air. 11 October 2017. Aviation Nepal. 11 October 2017.
17. Web site: Goma Aeroplane crash lands in Pokhara. NepaliAviator.com. 2 June 2015.
18. Web site: Goma Air Minor Incident . 12 January 2017 . Aviation Nepal News Network. 12 Jan 2017.
19. Web site: Senior captain dies, two hurt as Goma Aeroplane crashes in Lukla. 27 May 2017. The Himalayan Times. 27 May 2017.
20. Web site: Hradecky . Simon . Accident: Summit L410 at Lukla on Apr 14th 2019, runway excursion on takeoff and collision with two helicopters . The Aviation Herald . 1 June 2020 . 14 April 2019.
21. Web site: Summit Air makes emergency landing in Ramechhap . Khabar Hub . 15 November 2020 . 22 March 2020.
22. Web site: Engine Failure of Aircraft flying from Kathmandu to Lukla. Mteveresttoday . 17 April 2022.