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Yeti Airlines is one of Nepal's best-known domestic carriers and a familiar name to anyone who has flown within the country. Ang Tshering Sherpa founded the airline in May 1998, and it began flying with two de Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otters. Over almost three decades it has grown into a major player in Nepali aviation. As of 2024 it was Nepal's second-largest domestic airline by passenger numbers and the third-largest by fleet size.
The airline is also known for its environmental commitment. In 2019 Yeti Airlines became the first carbon-neutral airline in both Nepal and South Asia.
Yeti Airlines flies an all-turboprop fleet suited to Nepal's short domestic routes. The fleet has seven ATR 72-500 aircraft, each seating 70 passengers in a single economy cabin.
In earlier years the airline also flew BAe Jetstream 41s, Twin Otters, Dornier 228s and Saab 340s. Its five remaining Jetstream 41s were sold to Guna Airlines.
Yeti Airlines runs scheduled domestic flights from its Kathmandu hub to major cities across Nepal. It currently has no international routes.
| City | Airport | Code |
|---|---|---|
| Kathmandu | Tribhuvan International Airport (hub) | KTM |
| Pokhara | Pokhara International Airport | PHH |
| Bhairahawa | Gautam Buddha International Airport | BWA |
| Biratnagar | Biratnagar Airport | BIR |
| Bhadrapur | Bhadrapur Airport | BDP |
| Janakpur | Janakpur Airport | JKR |
| Nepalgunj | Nepalgunj Airport | KEP |
Yeti Airlines runs two popular sightseeing flights. The Everest Express is an hour-long mountain flight from Kathmandu to Mount Everest, and the Annapurna Express flies from Pokhara to the Annapurna Massif. These early-morning flights suit travellers who want close Himalayan views without trekking.
In 2009 Yeti Airlines created Tara Air as a subsidiary and moved its short take-off and landing (STOL) flights to remote mountain airports over to it, along with its Twin Otter and Dornier 228 aircraft. Tara Air now flies to mountain airstrips such as Lukla, the gateway to the Everest region. Yeti Airlines and Tara Air also have a codeshare agreement.
The group has launched international ventures too. Fly Yeti was started in 2007 as a joint venture with Air Arabia but stopped flying in 2008 because of political uncertainty. In 2014 Yeti Airlines launched Himalaya Airlines, another international joint venture.
In late 2023 Asian Life Insurance Co. Ltd. acquired a 49% stake in Yeti Airlines, and plans for an IPO were announced. The airline has since received a BBB− issuer rating from Infomerics Credit Rating Nepal ahead of applying to SEBON for the IPO.
Like all Nepali carriers, Yeti Airlines is on the EU air safety list. In 2013 the European Commission barred all Nepali airlines from EU airspace. This doesn't affect domestic flights within Nepal.
The airline has had serious accidents in its history. The most serious was Flight 691 on 15 January 2023, when an ATR 72-500 flying from Kathmandu to Pokhara crashed near Pokhara. All 68 passengers and 4 crew were killed, making it Nepal's deadliest air crash since 1992.
Yeti Airlines serves these airports: Bhairahawa (VNBW), Bharatpur Airport (VNBP), Dhangarhi (VNDH), Pokhara (VNPK), Tribhuvan Intl (VNKT).
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