Manang Air
A Nepalese helicopter airline providing charter, adventure-flight, excursion, expedition, and training services.
Last updated August 25, 2026
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Overview
Manang Air Pvt. Ltd. is a Nepalese helicopter airline headquartered in Kathmandu. Established in 1997, it operates commercial helicopter services within Nepal under the regulatory framework of the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal. Unlike a conventional fixed-wing passenger airline, Manang Air is focused on rotary-wing charter operations and specialized aviation work, including helicopter excursions, adventure flights, expedition support, and personalized transport services. The company began operations with a Mil Mi-17 helicopter. Its early operating history included cargo and logistical missions in difficult mountainous areas of Nepal, where helicopters are often used to reach locations with limited road or airfield access. In 2009, the company's Mi-17 was involved in a fatal cargo-mission accident in Humla District. After the loss of its only helicopter in an accident, Manang Air experienced an interruption of service lasting approximately three years. The airline resumed flying in 2014. In later years, Manang Air operated Eurocopter AS350 helicopters for passenger and charter work. The aircraft type is suited to Nepal's mountainous operating environment and to missions requiring access to small helipads and remote settlements. The company's services have included flights connected with trekking and mountaineering destinations, tourist excursions, passenger transfers, cargo or logistical support, and expedition activity. Nepal's Himalayan geography makes such services particularly important, although operations also involve demanding weather, terrain, altitude, and infrastructure conditions. Manang Air has also been described as Nepal's only Approved Training Organization, giving it a role beyond commercial helicopter transport. This status places the company within the country's aviation-training ecosystem, although the available reference material does not specify the full scope of its training programs, aircraft used for instruction, or current enrollment. The airline's history has included several serious safety events. A 2017 helicopter crash-landing at Gosainkunda caused minor aircraft damage without human casualties. In 2018, a passenger was fatally struck by the tail rotor of a Manang Air AS350 while disembarking at Hilsa, after which the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal temporarily suspended the airline's operations. In 2019, two Manang Air helicopters parked at Lukla Airport were destroyed when a Summit Air Let 410 left the runway during takeoff and struck them; the wider accident caused fatalities and injuries. In July 2023, an AS350 crashed near Likhupike in Solukhumbu District shortly after departing Tenzing-Hillary Airport for Kathmandu, killing the pilot and five passengers, who were Mexican nationals. In October 2023, another Manang Air AS350 crashed near Lobuche during a flight from Lukla to collect a passenger; the captain survived with injuries. The airline is also subject to international regulatory restrictions. The reference material states that Manang Air is currently banned from flying in the European Union. No further details about the legal basis, date, or duration of that restriction are provided in the supplied sources. Overall, Manang Air is best understood as a specialized Nepalese helicopter operator whose identity is closely associated with Himalayan charter aviation, remote-area access, tourism, expeditions, and aviation training.
History
Manang Air was founded in Nepal in 1997 and began commercial helicopter operations with a single Mil Mi-17. Its operating environment was shaped by Nepal's geography: mountainous terrain, remote communities, trekking corridors, high-altitude destinations, and areas where conventional road or fixed-wing infrastructure is limited. The company's business therefore developed around helicopter transport rather than scheduled airline service, with charter flying, cargo and logistical work, excursions, and expedition support forming the main parts of its operating profile. The airline's early fleet and mission profile allowed it to undertake work in remote parts of the country. On 15 November 2009, its Mi-17 departed Surkhet Airport on a cargo mission carrying supplies, including pipes intended for a drinking-water project in Rodikot in Humla District. The helicopter crashed approximately 45 minutes after departure. A Russian flight engineer died and five other people were injured. The accident also had a major operational consequence because the aircraft was Manang Air's only helicopter at the time. The company subsequently stopped flying for roughly three years. Manang Air resumed operations in 2014. Its later fleet included Eurocopter AS350 helicopters, a type commonly used for passenger charter, sightseeing, mountain access, and other missions requiring a relatively compact helicopter capable of operating from small landing sites. The airline's service model emphasized individualized flights rather than a conventional timetable. Its activities included helicopter excursions and adventure flights, transport associated with trekking and mountaineering, expedition work, passenger transfers, and other charter requirements within Nepal. The renewed operating period was marked by additional safety events. On 10 June 2017, a Manang Air helicopter traveling from Kathmandu to Gosainkunda crash-landed at Gosainkunda Helipad. The aircraft sustained minor damage and no people were reported killed. On 14 August 2018, an AS350's tail rotor struck an Indian passenger who was disembarking at Hilsa, killing the passenger. Nepal's Civil Aviation Authority temporarily suspended Manang Air's operations following that event. On 14 April 2019, one of Manang Air's helicopters, an AS350 registered 9N-ALC, was parked at Lukla Airport when a Summit Air Let 410 veered off the runway during takeoff. The aircraft struck two Manang Air helicopters, destroying them. The accident also killed the Let's first officer and two security officers on the ground, while several people were injured. Although Manang Air was not operating the aircraft that initiated the accident, the event damaged its parked fleet and formed part of the airline's difficult safety history. The most serious recent event described in the reference material occurred on 11 July 2023. An AS350 registered 9N-AMV departed Tenzing-Hillary Airport for Tribhuvan International Airport in Kathmandu and crashed near Likhupike in Solukhumbu District about ten minutes later. All five passengers, identified as Mexican nationals, and the pilot died. On 14 October 2023, another AS350, 9N-ANJ, flying from Lukla to Solukhumbu to collect a passenger, crashed near Lobuche. Captain Prakash Kumar Sedhai was injured after a fire developed following the landing. In addition to transport and charter work, Manang Air has been described as Nepal's only Approved Training Organization. This gives the company an institutional role in pilot or aviation training, although the available material does not identify the specific courses, approvals, instructors, or training fleet. The company is regulated for domestic commercial helicopter operations by Nepal's Civil Aviation Authority. The supplied reference also states that Manang Air is banned from flying in the European Union. Details of the restriction are not provided. Manang Air's documented identity consequently combines Himalayan helicopter access, tourism and expedition services, remote logistics, and aviation training, alongside a history of operational interruptions and serious accidents.
- 2023
Fatal Likhupike crash
[1]An AS350 crashes near Likhupike shortly after departing Tenzing-Hillary Airport, killing the pilot and five passengers.
- 2023
Lobuche crash
[1]An AS350 crashes near Lobuche during a passenger-collection flight, injuring the captain.
- 2019
Lukla runway accident damages parked fleet
[1]A Summit Air aircraft strikes two parked Manang Air helicopters at Lukla Airport, destroying them.
- 2018
Fatal Hilsa disembarkation accident
[1]A passenger is killed by an AS350 tail rotor at Hilsa, prompting a temporary operational suspension by Nepal's aviation authority.
- 2017
Gosainkunda crash-landing
[1]A Manang Air helicopter crash-lands at Gosainkunda Helipad with minor damage and no reported human casualties.
- 2014
Flights resume
[1]Manang Air resumes flying after approximately three years without service following the loss of its only helicopter.
- 2009
Fatal Humla cargo accident
[1]The company's Mi-17 crashes during a cargo mission to Rodikot in Humla District, killing a flight engineer and injuring five people.
- 1997
Operations begin with a Mil Mi-17
[1]Manang Air begins helicopter operations in Nepal using a single Mil Mi-17.
Products and positioning
A specialized Nepalese helicopter operator positioned around personalized charter flying, Himalayan tourism, expedition logistics, remote-area access, and aviation training.
Air transport service · 1997
Helicopter charter
Manang Air provides non-scheduled helicopter charter within Nepal. Charter flights are oriented toward personalized passenger transport and destinations that may be difficult to serve with fixed-wing aircraft or conventional scheduled services.
Tourism aviation
Adventure flights and helicopter excursions
The airline offers helicopter excursions and adventure-oriented flights connected with Nepal's mountain and tourism economy. These services use helicopter access to reach scenic, remote, or high-altitude locations and are presented as personalized rather than timetable-based travel.
Specialized aviation services · 1997
Expedition and remote-area support
Manang Air supports expeditions and other activities requiring helicopter access in mountainous or infrastructure-limited areas. The company's documented work has also included cargo and logistical missions for remote communities and projects.
Aviation training
Approved aviation training
Manang Air is described in the reference material as Nepal's only Approved Training Organization. The available sources do not detail the individual courses, aircraft, qualifications, or current scale of this training activity.
Brand decisions
2018
Temporary suspension following Hilsa fatalityOtherBackground
An Indian passenger was fatally struck by the tail rotor of a Manang Air AS350 while disembarking at Hilsa.
Action taken
The Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal temporarily suspended Manang Air's operations.
Aftermath
The supplied source does not state the duration of the suspension or the specific corrective measures required.
2014
Resume helicopter operations after service interruptionStrategyBackground
Manang Air had been without service for approximately three years after its only helicopter was involved in a 2009 accident.
Action taken
The airline resumed flights in Nepal in 2014.
Aftermath
The company returned to charter and specialized helicopter activity, later operating AS350 helicopters.
Sources1 sources
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