Summit Air (Nepal)

Summit Air, formerly known as Goma Air, is an airline based in Kathmandu, Nepal. The airline operates from short takeoff and landing airstrips in the Western parts of Nepal.[2][3] The airline received the first of two Let 410 aircraft, financed by the Czech Republic Export Bank.,[4] in October 2014, and initially only used them on flights to Lukla and Jomsom.[5]

This article is about the Nepalese airline. For the Canadian airline, see Summit Air.
Summit Air
IATA ICAO Callsign
- SMA[lower-alpha 1] -
Commenced operations24 February 2011
Operating basesTribhuvan International Airport
HubsSurkhet Airport
Secondary hubsNepalgunj Airport
Fleet size5
Destinations10
Key peopleBikash Rana, Chairman
Manoj Karki, MD
Websitewww.summitair.com.np

History

The airline was founded as Goma Air in February 2011. It began to operate using Cessna Grand Caravan 208 B aircraft. In October 2014, the airline acquired one Let 410 UVP-E20 aircraft, which was the first aircraft of this type to be operated in Nepal.[6] The airline is the only one to use Nepalgunj Airport as the main hub of operation and focuses on operating out of that base.[7] On 13 March 2017, the airline officially changed its name to Summit Air.[8]

In 2014, Summit Air signed a deal with Fishtail Air with the aim of enhancing Nepal's tourism. Both Airlines are led by Bikash JB Rana, for which a collaboration was eased.[9][10] Following Goma Air's name change to Summit Air, in 2018, Fishtail Air also changed its name to Summit Helicopters to visualize the cooperation,[11][12] however has since reverted its name.

Destinations

Summit Air serves the following destinations as of January 2020:[13]

DestinationAirportNotes
KathmanduTribhuvan International AirportHub
NepalgunjNepalgunj AirportFocus city
BajuraBajura Airport
BirendranagarSurkhet Airport
DolpaDolpa Airport
JumlaJumla Airport
LuklaTenzing-Hillary Airport
ManthaliRamechhap Airport
PhapluPhaplu Airport
RaraTalcha Airport
Rupakot MajhuwagadhiMan Maya Airport
SanphebagarSanphebagar AirportTerminated[14]
TaplejungTaplejung Airport
TumlingtarTumlingtar Airport

Fleet
Summit Air fleet
Aircraft In Fleet On Orders Passengers Notes
C Y Total
Cessna Grand Caravan 208 B 2 1[15] 0 9 9 [16]
Let 410 UVP-E20 3[17] — 0 18 18 Three originally delivered. One crashed on 27 May 2017, another on 14 April 2019[18] at Lukla[19][20]
Total 5 1

Accidents and Incidents
  • 2 June 2015 - A Goma Air flight from Jomsom landed in Pokhara without the nose gear. All 18 passengers on board the Let 410 aircraft were safe, but the aircraft 9N-AKY suffered damage in the nose wheel part.[21]
  • 12 January 2017 - A Let 410 Turbolet, registration 9N-AKZ, of Goma Air outbound from Nepalgunj to Mugu experienced a tyre burst incident during landing at Talcha Airport. All the 15 passengers reported to be safe.[22]
  • 27 May 2017 - Summit Air Flight 409 crashed on final approach to Lukla Airport. The aircraft, a Let 410, Registration 9N-AKY, crashed into the rock-wall 5–10 m (16–33 ft) below the runway. From the 3 person crew the Flight Senior Captain Paras Kumar Rai was killed in the crash, Co-Pilot Shrizan Manandhar died undergoing treatment at the scene, the Air Hostesses Pragya Maharjan was injured and airlifted to Kathmandu for further treatment.[23]
  • 14 April 2019 - A Let 410 Turbolet, registration 9N-AMH, crashed at Lukla Airport. The aircraft was taking off from runway 24 when shortly after starting its run the nose is seen to dip and the plane deviate slightly to the left before the nose lifts again and the plane veers off the runway to the right onto the helicopter apron impacting two helicopters of Manang Air and Shree Air. The first officer of the flight died in the accident as well as two security officers on the ground near the runway. Several people were injured.[24]
  • 20 March 2020 – A Summit Air Let 410 en route from Lukla to Kathmandu made an emergency landing at Ramechhap Airport due to an engine failiues. All of the crew and passengers evacuated the aircraft safely.[25]

Notes
  1. Summit Air has no registered ICAO code allocated, but uses "SMA" on scheduling, ticketing and baggage (as an official ICAO code would be used). However, officially, the ICAO Code SMA is allocated to SMA Airlines.[1]

References
  1. "Current Flight Schedule". Summit Air. Retrieved 1 April 2018.
  2. "Goma Air". Retrieved 4 January 2015.
  3. "Goma Air successfully conducts test flight". Retrieved 4 January 2015.
  4. "Goma Air to fly to Lukla and Jomsom". The Himalayan Times. Retrieved 13 October 2014.
  5. http://www.ch-aviation.com/portal/news/31936-nepals-goma-air-takes-delivery-of-first-let-410 CH Aviation
  6. "About us". Summit Air. Retrieved 12 October 2017.
  7. "Airliners in Nepal: Risk taker Goma Air(गोमा एयर) providing service in remote areas of the country". Aviation Nepal. Retrieved 12 October 2017.
  8. ""Goma Air" officially changed name to "Summit Air"". Aviation Nepal. Retrieved 15 March 2017.
  9. "Fishtail Air and Goma Air collaborate on Nepal tourism". HeliHub.com. Retrieved 1 September 2017.
  10. "Fishtail Air and Goma Air coordinate to boost the Adventure Tourism of Nepal". Fishtail Air. Retrieved 1 September 2017.
  11. Manandhar, Shivesh (11 June 2018). "Fishtail Air gets new official name 'Summit Helicopters'". Aviation Nepal. Retrieved 31 August 2018.
  12. "Announcement of Company Name Change". Summit Helicopters. 17 June 2018. Retrieved 31 August 2018.
  13. "Network-of-Summit-Air". Summit Air. Retrieved 5 January 2020.
  14. "Achham-Dhangadi flight initiated". Aviation Nepal. 22 March 2019. Retrieved 22 March 2019.
  15. "New LET L410 aircraft arriving for Summit Air". Aviation Nepal. Retrieved 7 September 2019.
  16. "Goma Air flight for western districts". Retrieved 4 January 2015.
  17. "Newly arrived LET 410 UVPE-20 for Summit Air". Aviation Nepal. Retrieved 11 October 2017.
  18. https://www.flightglobal.com/news/articles/fatalities-after-l-410-take-off-excursion-and-collis-457455/
  19. "UPDATE: Senior captain dead, two hurt as Goma Air plane crashes in Lukla". The Himalayan Times. Retrieved 15 October 2017.
  20. Kuvera Chalise. "Business and Economy". Retrieved 4 January 2015.
  21. "Goma Aeroplane crash lands in Pokhara". NepaliAviator.com. Retrieved 2 June 2015.
  22. "Goma Air Minor Incident". Aviation Nepal News Network. Retrieved 12 Jan 2017.
  23. "Senior captain dies, two hurt as Goma Aeroplane crashes in Lukla". The Himalayan Times. Retrieved 27 May 2017.
  24. Hradecky, Simon (14 April 2019). "Accident: Summit L410 at Lukla on Apr 14th 2019, runway excursion on takeoff and collision with two helicopters". The Aviation Herald. Retrieved 1 June 2020.
  25. "Summit Air makes emergency landing in Ramechhap". Khabar Hub. 22 March 2020. Retrieved 15 November 2020.


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