March 24, 2016
Himalaya Airlines—a joint venture (JV) of China’s Tibet Airlines, Nepal’s Himalaya Aviation Investment Co. and Nepal’s Yeti Air International—is expected to launch its inaugural flight from Kathmandu to New Delhi in April.
The new venture has a registered capital of $25 million; the two Nepalese companies hold a 51% stake and Tibet Airlines holds 49% ownership. It had originally planned to launch its inaugural flight in October 2014.
Himalaya Airlines took delivery of its first Airbus A320 from Tibet Airlines earlier this month. Initially it will operate three A320s and plans to expand its fleet to 15 aircraft in the next five years. It plans to open services to Southeast Asian countries, South Asian countries and Europe from Lhasa and Kathmandu. It also plans to open pilgrimage routes, including flights to South Asian countries-Kathmandu-Lhasa-Ali and Chinese mainland cities-Lhasa-Lumbini.
