Shree Airlines
Shree Airlines Pvt. Ltd. (Nepali: श्री एयरलाइन्स) is an airline based in Kathmandu, Nepal, operating domestic services within Nepal, including chartered helicopter flights.[3][4][5] The airline also conducts charter and non-charter flights to remote parts of the country and offers cargo charter services.[citation needed] As of 2023, Shree Airlines was the third largest domestic carrier in Nepal, after Buddha Air and Yeti Airlines.[6]
History edit
The airline was founded by Banwari Lal Mittal and was incorporated in the 1990s and was originally called Air Ananya, named after the founder's granddaughter Ananya Mittal.[7]
Previously known as Shree Air, it is the largest operator of helicopters in Nepal with a fleet of Mi-17 helicopters. Nepal's then-largest helicopter operator Shree Airline diversified into fixed-wing operations by acquiring three jets in 2016 with plans to operate scheduled domestic flights out of Tribhuvan International Airport and investing NPRs 2 billion on its expansion project, these services are operated under the brand name Shree Airlines.[3][7]
During the COVID-19 pandemic in Nepal, Shree Airlines carried out charter flights to Singapore, marking the airlines' international flight debut.[8]
Services edit
Humanitarian and UN peacekeeping flights edit
Shree Airlines operated helicopter flights for the World Food Program and the Nepal Food Corporation.[when?] These flights delivered food to the hungry and needy in the hard-to-reach parts of Nepal. Shree Airlines has delivered over 8,000,000 kilograms of food to the Nepalese population.[9]
Shree Airlines also operated long-term charter flights for the United Nations, in support of peacekeeping operations in Uganda from 2008 to 2014. The UN canceled the contract after the ICAO attached the label "significant safety concern" to all Nepalese airlines. Four Mi-17 helicopters were left abandoned in Uganda after the cancelation of the mission, as the airline did not find it viable to bring the machines back to Nepal.[10] As of September 2016, two Helicopters are still in Africa, while two more helicopters are currently being overhauled.[7]
Religious tourism edit
Shree Airlines operates helicopter flights to Hilsa in north-west Nepal, which is at the northern border, and is the start point for the Mansarovar and Mount Kailash pilgrimage. The airline operates charter flights to Muktinath, a popular pilgrimage destination in mid-Nepal.[11]
Destinations edit
Shree Airlines operates scheduled domestic flights to the following destinations as of January, 2020.
| Destination | Airport | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Bhairahawa | Gautam Buddha Airport | Daily 3 flight |
| Biratnagar | Biratnagar Airport | Daily 4 flight |
| Dhangadhi | Dhangadhi Airport | Daily 4 flight |
| Kathmandu | Tribhuvan International Airport | Hub |
| Nepalgunj | Nepalgunj Airport | Daily 5 flight |
| Pokhara | ||
| Pokhara International Airport | Daily 3 flight | |
| Birendranagar | Surkhet Airport | Daily 1 flight |
| Bhadrapur | Bhadrapur Airport | Daily 1 flight |
Fleet edit
The Shree Airlines fleet consists of the following aircraft:[citation needed]
| Aircraft | In Fleet | Orders | Passengers | Notes | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| C | Y | Total | ||||
| Bombardier CRJ200ER | 2 | — | — | 50 | 50 | [12] |
| Bombardier CRJ700 | 2 | — | — | 70 | 70 | [12][13] |
| Bombardier Dash 8 Q400 | 6 | — | — | 78 | 78 | [14] |
| Mil Mi-17 | 6 | — | — | 24 | 24 | Four positioned in Uganda after serving in a UN mission.[10] |
| Eurocopter AS350 B3e | 2 | — | — | 5 | 5 | |
| Total | 18 | — | ||||
Accidents and incidents edit
- On 23 September 2006, a Shree Airlines Mil Mi-8 helicopter that operated on a chartered mission en route to Kathmandu crashed shortly after it departed Ghunsa, Taplejung. All four crew members and 20 passengers died in the crash, among them several senior officials of the World Wide Fund for Nature and Nepalese Government officials Gopal Rai and Harka Gurung and conservationist Chandra Gurung.[15][16]
- On February 2, 2018, a Shree Airlines Bombardier CRJ200ER met a minor incident at Gautam Buddha Airport, Bhairahawa. The wing tip of the aircraft was damaged as the aircraft hit the wing of a Yeti Airlines Jetstream 41 at parking bay of the airport.[17]
- On October 5, 2021, a Shree Airlines Bombardier Dash 8 was about to depart for Nepalgunj when it skidded off the taxiway in the parking lot at Kathmandu. According to Kathmandu Airport, no one was injured and the aircraft was not damaged. The aircraft departed for Nepalgunj a few hours later.[citation needed]
- On March 10, 2023, the entire fleet of Shree Airlines was temporarily grounded by the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal a day after an engine fire occurred mid-flight on one of their Bombardier Dash 8 Q-400 aircraft, forcing the aircraft to be diverted back to Kathmandu.[18]
Sponsorships edit
Shree Airlines is an active sports and events sponsor, co-sponsoring the 2018 Dhangadhi Premier League[19] and since 2019 sponsoring the Biratnagar Kings[20] in cricket and the 2019 SAFF Women's Championship[21] in football.
References edit
- ^ "Airline and Airport Codes". IATA. Retrieved 1 July 2018.
- ^ Company profile of shree air (PDF) (Report). Icranepal.
- ^ a b "Shree Airlines gets 2nd Bombardier jet". The Kathmandu Post. Retrieved 1 May 2017.
- ^ . Nepalnews. July 2003. Archived from the original on 10 March 2004.
- ^ "Shree Airlines Website". Shree Airlines. Retrieved 20 October 2017.
- ^ Prasain, Sangam (24 February 2023). "Domestic air traffic soars, hits a record 4.46m flyers". The Kathmandu Post. Retrieved 28 June 2023.
- ^ a b c Prasain, Sangam (2 September 2016). "Shree Airlines to diversify into fixed-wing operations". The Kathmandu Post. Retrieved 2 September 2016.
- ^ "Shree Airlines CRJ preparing for free charter flight to Singapore". Aviation Nepal. 16 April 2020. Retrieved 1 May 2020.
- ^ "Shree Airlines Joins Bombardier's Family of CRJ Series Aircraft Operators". Market Wired. Retrieved 16 August 2017.
- ^ a b "Shree seeks govt help revive charter deal". The Kathmandu Post. Retrieved 10 September 2017.
- ^ "Religious Tour". Shree Airlines. Retrieved 20 October 2017.
- ^ a b "Global Airline Guide 2019 (Part One)". Airliner World (October 2019): 21.
- ^ "Shree Airlines receives additional Bombardier CRJ700 "9N-AMO"". Aviation Nepal. 19 June 2018. Retrieved 1 July 2018.
- ^ "Shree Airlines Bombardier Dash 8 Q400 arriving soon". Aviation Nepal. 5 July 2019.
- ^ "A conservation catastrophe for Nepal". BBC. 2006-09-25. Retrieved 20 December 2017.
- ^ "Teams recover Nepal crash bodies". BBC. 2006-09-27. Retrieved 20 December 2017.
- ^ "Shree Airlines' CRJ200 and Yeti Airlines' had a minor collision at Gautam Buddha Airport". Aviation Nepal. 7 February 2018. Retrieved 7 February 2018.
- ^ Hardiman, Jake (2023-03-10). "Nepal's Civil Aviation Authority Grounds Shree Airlines' Fleet". Simple Flying. Retrieved 2023-03-11.
- ^ "Shree Airlines join hands with DPL-2". The Kathmandu Post. 19 February 2018. Retrieved 15 March 2019.
- ^ "Biratnagar Kings ink title sponsorship deal". The Kathmandu Post. 6 February 2019. Retrieved 15 March 2019.
- ^ "ANFA Signs A Deal With Shree Airlines For SAFF Women's Championship 2019". Goal Nepal. 29 December 2018. Retrieved 15 March 2019.
External links edit
Media related to Shree Airlines at Wikimedia Commons
- Official website