Saurya Airlines
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| Founded | 2014 | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Commenced operations | 17 November 2014 | ||||||
| AOC # | 083/2014[1] | ||||||
| Hubs | Tribhuvan Airport, Kathmandu | ||||||
| Focus cities | Biratnagar, Bhadrapur | ||||||
| Frequent-flyer program | Saurya Saarathi[2] | ||||||
| Fleet size | 1 (after 24 July 2024 plane crash) | ||||||
| Destinations | 2 | ||||||
| Headquarters | Kathmandu, Nepal | ||||||
| Key people |
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Saurya Airlines Pvt. Ltd (Nepali: सौर्य एयरलाईन्स) is an airline based in Kathmandu, Nepal. As of August 2017, the airline serves five destinations across three provinces of Nepal from its hub at Tribhuvan International Airport. Saurya Airlines operates a fleet of Bombardier CRJ-200 aircraft. Saurya Airlines was the first airline to operate the Canadair Regional Jet in Nepal, also becoming the second airline in Nepal after Cosmic Air to operate a jet engine aircraft on the domestic routes.
History
[edit]Saurya Airlines bought its first aircraft, a Bombardier CRJ-200, on 18 August 2014 and commenced its first operation on 17 November 2014 by conducting a mountain flight and a round trip to Biratnagar Airport from Kathmandu Airport after it was forced to keep its new plane grounded for nearly three months due to lengthy paperwork.[4] The company later added a daily service to Bhadrapur making it its second southeastern destination. On 22 June 2015, Saurya Airlines launched flights to Nepalgunj which is now discontinued.
At the beginning of 2016, Saurya Airlines was constrained to operate charter flights as per the regulations of Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal after the company failed to meet the minimum required number of aircraft needed to operate as a scheduled passenger carrier.[5] However, the company managed to provide the service to the passengers by operating scheduled charter flights. In 2016, Saurya Airlines served 90,205 passengers with the growth rate of 3.76 percent from the previous year.[6]
In March 2017, Saurya Airlines added a second CRJ-200 to its fleet, and regained the certificate to operate scheduled flights again. This aircraft (registered 9N-AME) was painted with a "Tata Tiago livery" as per the agreement with Sipradi Trading, making the airline the first Nepalese fixed-wing aircraft company to wear the international trademark on aircraft livery.[7]
In 2018, the airline was grounded by Tribhuvan International Airport, as it owed 30 million Nepali rupees in service charges to the airport.[8] In March 2019, the airline cleared its dues and restarted its flight operations.[9]
Also in 2018, the airline was sold to a group of Non Resident Nepalis for 320 million Nepali rupees.[10] However, in 2019, the ownership changed again, when the Indian Kuber Group acquired the airline for 630 million Nepali rupees.[11] In July 2021, some reports indicated that the airline would rebrand itself as Kuber Airlines.[12]
On 24 July 2024, 18 of the company's employees were killed in a crash at Kathmandu. The following day, the airline suspended all flights due to the lack of aircraft and skilled personnel.[13]
Destinations
[edit]Saurya Airlines serves to these destinations as of January 2023:
| City | Airport | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Bhadrapur | Chandragadhi Airport | — |
| Biratnagar | Biratnagar Airport | — |
| Dhangadhi | Dhangadhi Airport | Terminated |
| Kathmandu | Tribhuvan International Airport | Hub |
| Nepalgunj | Nepalgunj Airport | Terminated |
| Pokhara | Pokhara Airport | Terminated |
| Pokhara International Airport | Terminated | |
| Siddharthanagar | Gautam Buddha Airport | Terminated |
Fleet
[edit]
The Saurya Airlines fleet consists of the following aircraft (as of July 2024):
| Aircraft | In fleet | Orders | Passengers | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Y | ||||
| Bombardier CRJ200LR/ER | 1 | 0 | 50 | [14][15] |
| Total | 1 |
Accidents and incidents
[edit]- 24 July 2024 – a Saurya Airlines CRJ200 (9N-AME) aircraft carrying 19 people crashed during takeoff in Kathmandu, killing 18, the sole survivor being the captain.[16][15][17]
References
[edit]- ^ "Civil Aviation Report 2017" (PDF). Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal. Retrieved 28 February 2019.
- ^ "SAURYA SAARATHI". Saurya Airlines. Retrieved 16 December 2017.
- ^ "Chairman's Message". Saurya Airlines. Retrieved 1 September 2018.
- ^ "Saurya adds another CRJ-200 to its fleet". The Kathmandu Post. 13 March 2017. Retrieved 1 September 2018.
- ^ "Nepal's Saurya Airlines downgraded to charter operator". ch aviation. 2 February 2016. Retrieved 1 September 2018.
- ^ "2016; Prosperous year for Domestic airlines in Nepal". Aviation Nepal. 26 March 2017. Retrieved 1 September 2018.
- ^ "Saurya Airlines becomes the first Fixed wing Company to nab the international trademark on its livery". Aviation Nepal. 14 June 2017. Retrieved 1 September 2018.
- ^ "Saurya Airlines all Flights cancelled". Aviation Nepal. 6 December 2018. Retrieved 14 March 2019.
- ^ "Nepal's Saurya Airlines back in the air". HMG Aerospace. 8 March 2019. Retrieved 14 March 2019.
- ^ "Saurya airlines transfers ownership in 320 million". Tourismmail. 12 August 2018. Retrieved 28 February 2019.
- ^ "Kuber Group acquires 100% stake in Saurya Airlines". Centre for Aviation. Retrieved 28 February 2019.
- ^ Sharma, Pankaj (15 July 2021). "Saurya Airlines will rebrand as Kuber Airlines". Aviation Nepal. Retrieved 15 July 2021.
- ^ Curran, Andrew (28 July 2024). "Nepal's Saurya Airlines suspends flights after fatal crash". ch-aviation.
- ^ "Saurya Airlines". www.sauryaairlines.com.
20/08/2020: Saurya Airlines added third aircraft (9N-ANM) to its fleet
- ^ a b "ASN". Aviation Safety Network. Retrieved 24 July 2024.
- ^ "Saurya Plane Crash". Hindusthan Times. Retrieved 24 July 2024.
- ^ "9N-AME Saurya Airlines Bombardier CRJ-200ER (CL-600-2B19)". www.planespotters.net. 2024-07-24. Retrieved 2024-07-24.
External links
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