Saurya Airlines (Kathmandu) has suspended all scheduled flights following a July 24, 2024, crash near Kathmandu Airport that killed 18 people. "All flights of this airline have been cancelled until further notice," reads a July 25 statement from the carrier.
CRJ200ER 9N-AME (msn 7772) banked to the right immediately after takeoff from Kathmandu Tribhuvan Airport until its wings were nearly vertical. It lost height and crashed on the east side of runway 02. Only the captain survived. The aircraft was heading to Pokhara Domestic for maintenance and all onboard were company employees. Saurya Airlines is 49% owned by India's Kuber Group, with the remaining 51% held by Nepali entities and individuals.
The accident leaves Saurya Airlines with two CRJ200ERs. However, one was withdrawn from service in 2018 and has remained in storage at Kathmandu. The single operational aircraft, 9N-AMN (msn 8050), cannot now service Saurya's scheduled flights, currently comprising three Kathmandu-Biratnagar and three Kathmandu-Bhadrapur return flights each day. In addition, the loss of so many company employees, primarily engineers and technicians, leaves the carrier lacking skilled manpower. At the time of writing, the flight suspensions are Saurya's initiative, not from a Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN) order.
ch-aviation has contacted Saurya Airlines and the CAAN for comment.
Earlier this year, Saurya Airlines Operations Manager Bivechan Khanal told ch-aviation the carrier was looking to acquire three ATR - Avions de Transport Régional turboprops to complement rather than replace the CRJs. Khanal also said the airline was working to bring the stored aircraft back into service.
Nepal has recorded 27 fatal aircraft crashes over the past 30 years, killing more than 600 people. In December 2023, the European Union extended a long-running ban on Nepal-registered airlines in its airspace, saying the carriers do not meet international aviation safety standards.
