Yeti Airlines: Air Access to Mountain Airstrips, Including Lukla

The fleet

The main fleet is made up of ATR72s, while Tara Air uses smaller STOL aircraft such as the Twin Otter and Dornier 228, indispensable for operating on short, high-altitude airstrips where an ATR could not land.

Routes and network

Besides Lukla and Pokhara, the network reaches several minor airstrips in the mountain regions, often as the only air link available to trekkers, mountaineers and local communities.

Safety and what to know

On January 15, 2023 an ATR72 operated by Yeti Airlines, flight 691 from Kathmandu to Pokhara, crashed on approach, killing all 72 people on board: it was the deadliest air accident in Nepal in three decades. It is a fact that every traveler has a right to know before choosing a flight to Nepal's mountain airstrips, along with the fact that Nepalese aviation safety oversight has been the subject of international attention for years.

It is often the only way to reach airstrips like Lukla in a single day, which would otherwise take days of trekking. It is not a choice for anyone who does not feel comfortable with the general context of Nepalese mountain aviation, which is also weighed down by the 2023 accident. A practical tip: always allow buffer days around your Lukla flight, because mountain airstrips often close for weather and the waiting lists for the next flight lengthen quickly.