Shree Airlines
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| |||||||
| Founded | 1999 | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AOC # | 030/2002[2] | ||||||
| Hubs | Tribhuvan International Airport | ||||||
| Frequent-flyer program | High Flyer Club | ||||||
| Fleet size | 11 | ||||||
| Destinations | 6 | ||||||
| Headquarters | Sinamangal,Kathmandu,Nepal | ||||||
| Key people | Sudhir Mittal(chairman)[3] | ||||||
| Website | www.shreeairlines.com | ||||||
Shree Airlines Pvt. Ltd.(Nepali:श्री एयरलाइन्स) is anairlinebased inKathmandu,Nepal,operating domestic services within Nepal, including charteredhelicopterflights. The airline also conducts charter and non-charter flights to remote parts of the country and offers cargo charter services.[4]As of 2024, Shree Airlines is the third largest domestic carrier in Nepal by passenger carried and third largest by fleet size, afterBuddha Air.[5][6]
History
[edit]
The airline was founded by Banwari Lal Mittal and was incorporated in the 1990s and was originally calledAir Ananya,named after the founder's granddaughter Ananya Mittal.[7]
Previously known asShree Air,it is the largest operator of helicopters inNepalwith a fleet ofMi-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 ofTribhuvan International Airportand investingNPRs2 billion on its expansion project, these services are operated under the brand nameShree Airlines.[8][7]
During theCOVID-19 pandemic in Nepal,Shree Airlines carried out charter flights toSingapore,marking the airlines' international flight debut.[9]
Services
[edit]
Humanitarian and UN peacekeeping flights
[edit]Shree Airlines operated helicopter flights for theWorld Food Programand theNepal 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.[10]
Shree Airlines also operated long-term charter flights for theUnited Nations,in support ofpeacekeepingoperations inUgandafrom 2008 to 2014. The UN canceled the contract after theICAOattached the label "significant safety concern" to allNepalese 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.[11]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 theMansarovarandMount Kailashpilgrimage. The airline operates charter flights toMuktinath,a popular pilgrimage destination in mid-Nepal.[12]
Destinations
[edit]Shree Airlines operates scheduled domestic flights to the following destinations as of June, 2024.
| Destination | Airport | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Bhairahawa | Gautam Buddha Airport | Daily 5 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 2 flight |
Fleet
[edit]The Shree Airlines fleet consists of the following aircraft:[citation needed]
| Aircraft Model | In Fleet | Orders | Passengers | Notes | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| C | Y | Total | ||||
| Bombardier CRJ200ER | 2 | — | — | 50 | 50 | [13] |
| Bombardier CRJ700 | 2 | — | — | 70 | 70 | [13][14] |
| Bombardier Dash 8 Q400 | 7 | — | — | 78 | 78 | [15] |
| Total | 11 | — | ||||
| Helicoptor Model | In Fleet | Orders | Passengers | Notes | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| C | Y | Total | ||||
| Mil Mi-17 | 6 | — | — | 24 | 24 | Fourpositioned in Ugandaafter serving in a UN mission.[11] |
| Eurocopter AS350 B3e | 2 | — | — | 5 | 5 | |
| Total | 8 | — | ||||
Accidents and incidents
[edit]- On 23 September 2006, a Shree AirlinesMil Mi-8helicopter thatoperated on a chartered missionen route toKathmanducrashed shortly after it departedGhunsa, Taplejung.All four crew members and 20 passengers died in the crash, among them several senior officials of theWorld Wide Fund for NatureandNepalese Government officialsGopal RaiandHarka Gurungand conservationistChandra Gurung.[16][17]
- On February 2, 2018, a Shree Airlines Bombardier CRJ200ER met a minor incident atGautam Buddha Airport,Bhairahawa.The wing tip of the aircraft was damaged as the aircraft hit the wing of a Yeti AirlinesJetstream 41at parking bay of the airport.[18]
- On October 5, 2021, a Shree Airlines Bombardier Dash 8 was about to depart forNepalgunjwhen it skidded off the taxiway in the parking lot atKathmandu.According to Kathmandu Airport, no one was injured and the aircraft was not damaged. The aircraft departed forNepalgunja few hours later.[citation needed]
- On March 10, 2023, the entire fleet of Shree Airlines was temporarily grounded by theCivil Aviation Authority of Nepala 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.[citation needed]
Sponsorships
[edit]Shree Airlines is an activesports and events sponsor,co-sponsoring the2018 Dhangadhi Premier League[19]and since 2019 sponsoring theBiratnagar Kings[20]incricketand the2019 SAFF Women's Championship[21]infootball.
References
[edit]- ^"Airline and Airport Codes".IATA.Retrieved1 July2018.
- ^"Civil Aviation Report 2017"(PDF).Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal. Archived fromthe original(PDF)on 7 September 2018.Retrieved1 October2018.
- ^Company profile of shree air(PDF)(Report). Icranepal.
- ^"Shree Airlines Website".Shree Airlines Helicoptor Fleet.Retrieved20 October2017.
- ^Prasain, Sangam (24 February 2023)."Domestic air traffic soars, hits a record 4.46m flyers".The Kathmandu Post.Retrieved28 June2023.
- ^"श्री एयरलाइन्सले थप्यो ८० सिट क्षमताको अर्को विमान".bizpati.com. 22 June 2024.
- ^abcPrasain, Sangam (2 September 2016)."Shree Airlines to diversify into fixed-wing operations".The Kathmandu Post.Retrieved2 September2016.
- ^"Shree Airlines gets 2nd Bombardier jet".The Kathmandu Post.Retrieved1 May2017.
- ^"Shree Airlines CRJ preparing for free charter flight to Singapore".Aviation Nepal. 16 April 2020.Retrieved1 May2020.
- ^"Shree Airlines Joins Bombardier's Family of CRJ Series Aircraft Operators".Market Wired.Retrieved16 August2017.
- ^ab"Shree seeks govt help revive charter deal".The Kathmandu Post.Retrieved10 September2017.
- ^"Religious Tour".Shree Airlines.Retrieved20 October2017.
- ^ab"Global Airline Guide 2019 (Part One)".Airliner World(October 2019): 21.
- ^"Shree Airlines receives additional Bombardier CRJ700" 9N-AMO "".Aviation Nepal. 19 June 2018.Retrieved1 July2018.
- ^"Shree Airlines Bombardier Dash 8 Q400 arriving soon".Aviation Nepal. 5 July 2019.
- ^"A conservation catastrophe for Nepal".BBC. 2006-09-25.Retrieved20 December2017.
- ^"Teams recover Nepal crash bodies".BBC. 2006-09-27.Retrieved20 December2017.
- ^"Shree Airlines' CRJ200 and Yeti Airlines' had a minor collision at Gautam Buddha Airport".Aviation Nepal. 7 February 2018.Retrieved7 February2018.
- ^"Shree Airlines join hands with DPL-2".The Kathmandu Post. 19 February 2018.Retrieved15 March2019.
- ^"Biratnagar Kings ink title sponsorship deal".The Kathmandu Post. 6 February 2019.Retrieved15 March2019.
- ^"ANFA Signs A Deal With Shree Airlines For SAFF Women's Championship 2019".Goal Nepal. 29 December 2018.Retrieved15 March2019.
External links
[edit]
Media related toShree Airlinesat Wikimedia Commons
