Air Dynasty
Nepalese helicopter airline From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Air Dynasty Heli Service Pvt. Ltd. is a helicopter airline based at Tribhuvan International Airport in Kathmandu, Nepal, operating chartered helicopter services. The company was established in 1993 and mainly carries out domestic chartered helicopter flights throughout Nepal from its three hubs in Kathmandu, Pokhara, and Lukla.[5][1] It is currently banned from flying in EU airspace.[8]
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| Founded | 1993 | ||||||
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| AOC # | 035/2001[4] | ||||||
| Hubs | Tribhuvan International Airport (Kathmandu) | ||||||
| Secondary hubs | Pokhara Airport (Pokhara), Tenzing–Hillary Airport (Lukla)[5] | ||||||
| Fleet size | 4 | ||||||
| Parent company | Yeti Group[6] | ||||||
| Headquarters | Sinamangal, Kathmandu, Nepal | ||||||
| Key people | Malcolm Smith (Chairman)[7] | ||||||
| Website | http://www.airdynastyheli.com | ||||||
History
Air Dynasty was founded in 1993 in Kathmandu, Nepal, by Ang Tshering Sherpa, who later also founded Yeti Airlines.[9] In 2001, the airline received a foreign direct investment from British businessman Malcolm Roy Smith, who held 50% of the airline and served as the chairman.[10] In 2005, the airline partnered with the Bhutanese flag carrier Druk Air, to which a Eurocopter helicopter was leased, after the government of Bhutan decided to introduce helicopter charter services in the country.[11] In 2013, the European Commission banned all Nepalese airlines from entering European airspace. This restriction is still in place as of January 2023 and specifically also regards Air Dynasty.[12][13]
Fleet
Current fleet
The Air Dynasty fleet consists of these aircraft (as of May 2019):[5][14][15]
| Aircraft | In fleet | Orders | Passengers | Notes | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| C | Y | Total | ||||
| Eurocopter AS350 B3e | 1 | 1[16] | 0 | 5 | 5 | |
| Eurocopter AS350 FXII | 2 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 5 | |
| Eurocopter AS350 BA | 1 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 5 | |
| Total | 4 | 1 | ||||
Former fleet
| Aircraft | Operated | Passengers | Notes | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| C | Y | Total | |||
| Airbus H125[17] | 1 | 0 | 5 | 5 | Crashed on 27 February 2019[18] |
Accidents and incidents
- 26 September 2013 – An Air Dynasty Eurocopter AS 350 helicopter crashed after landing at Lukla Airport. The helicopter's tail touched a fence, causing it to crash. All four people on board escaped the accident alive, but the aircraft was written off.[19][20]
- 27 February 2019 – An Airbus H125 crashed in Taplejung while operating a charter flight. All seven persons on board, including Nepal's tourism minister, Rabindra Prasad Adhikari, were killed.[18][21]
- 7 August 2024 – An Eurocopter AS350 flying from Kathmandu to Syaprubeshi crashed into a forested mountain in Suryachaur, Nuwakot District, killing all four Chinese passengers on board and the pilot.[22]
References
External links
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