Tara Air[3] Pvt. Ltd. is an airline headquartered in Kathmandu, Nepal.[4] It is a subsidiary of Yeti Airlines. Tara Air was formed in 2009 using aircraft from the Yeti Airlines fleet and is based at Tribhuvan International Airport, with a secondary hub at Nepalgunj Airport. The airline operates scheduled flights and air charter services with a fleet of STOL aircraft, previously provided by Yeti Airlines. Its operations focus on serving remote and mountainous airports and airstrips.[5] It is currently on the List of airlines banned in the European Union.[6]
History
Tara Air was formed in 2009 when Yeti Airlines split its STOL aircraft operations from its regional operations.[7] The airline's STOL operations were rebranded as Tara Air and focused on providing services into remote and mountainous airports and airstrips.[8]
Destinations
The airline operates scheduled domestic flights to a number of destinations as well as offering air charter services. Tara Air operates daily scheduled flights between Kathmandu and Lukla, and between Jomsom and Pokhara. Other destinations are served at varying frequency.[2]
| Destination | Airport | Notes | Refs. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kathmandu | Tribhuvan International Airport | Hub | |
| Nepalgunj | Nepalgunj Airport | Focus city | |
| Pokhara | Pokhara Airport | Focus city | |
| Bajhang | Bajhang Airport | Terminated | [9] |
| Bajura | Bajura Airport | Terminated | |
| Bhojpur | Bhojpur Airport | Terminated | |
| Birendranagar | Surkhet Airport | Terminated | [9] |
| Bowang | Dhorpatan Airport | Terminated | [9] |
| Diktel | Khanidanda Airport | Terminated | |
| Dolpa | Dolpa Airport | ||
| Jiri | Jiri Airport | Terminated | [9] |
| Jomsom | Jomsom Airport | ||
| Jumla | Jumla Airport | ||
| Lukla | Tenzing-Hillary Airport | ||
| Lamidanda | Lamidanda Airport | Terminated | |
| Langtang | Langtang Airport | Terminated | [9] |
| Manang | Manang Airport | Terminated | |
| Manthali | Ramechhap Airport | [10] | |
| Phaplu | Phaplu Airport | ||
| Rara | Talcha Airport | ||
| Rumjatar | Rumjatar Airport | Terminated | |
| Rukum | Rukumkot Airport | Terminated | [9] |
| Rukum | Rukum Salle Airport | Terminated | [9] |
| Sanphebagar | Sanphebagar Airport | Terminated | |
| Simikot | Simikot Airport | ||
| Syangboche | Syangboche Airport | Terminated | |
Codeshare agreements
Tara Air has a codeshare agreement with its parent company Yeti Airlines.[11]
Fleet
As of August 2025, Tara Air operates the following aircraft:[12]
| Aircraft | In Fleet | Orders | Passengers | Notes | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| C | Y | Total | ||||
| de Havilland Canada DHC-6-300 Twin Otter | 1 | — | 0 | 19 | 19 | |
| de Havilland Canada DHC-6-400 Twin Otter | 2 | — | 0 | 18 | 18 | |
| Total | 3 | — | ||||
Accidents and incidents
Tara Air has been considered one of the "most unsafe airlines" due to several significant incidents.[13]
- On 26 May 2010, a DHC-6 Twin Otter took off from Birendranagar Airport in Surkhet heading for Talcha Airport in Rara with 18 passengers and 3 crew on board. At 10 am the aircraft had to make an emergency landing at Birendranagar Airport after its cabin door suddenly opened five minutes after take-off. Tara Air officials said that the cabin attendant managed to lock the door immediately after it opened to avert any possible mishaps.[14]
- On 15 December 2010, a DHC-6 Twin Otter crashed shortly after takeoff from Lamidanda Airport in Nepal; it was en route to Kathmandu.[15] All 19 passengers and 3 flight crew were killed.[16]
- On 23 June 2011, a Tara Air Dornier 228 was substantially damaged in a heavy landing and runway excursion at Simikot Airport, Nepal. The aircraft was operating a cargo flight from Nepalgunj Airport.[17]
- On 21 September 2012, a DHC-6 Twin Otter en route from Dolpa to Nepalgunj was damaged during takeoff when the pilot lost directional control. No one was hurt in the incident.[18]
- On 24 February 2016, Tara Air Flight 193 went missing shortly after takeoff whilst traveling to Pokhara-Jomsom. It was later found that the aircraft crashed into the mountainous northern region killing 23 people including 2 babies and 3 crew members.[19]
- On 22 April 2019, a Tara Air Dornier 228 aircraft skidded off the runway upon landing at Ramechhap Airport. Due to adverse weather, the flight from Tribhuvan International Airport to Lukla Airport was diverted to Ramechhap Airport. All of the crew and passengers evacuated the aircraft safely.[20]
- On 1 December 2021, a Tara Air DHC-6 Twin Otter aircraft had a tyre burst upon landing at Bajura Airport. While no one was injured, a video of passengers pushing the aircraft off the runway, as there was no suitable vehicle at the airport, went viral.[21]
- On 29 May 2022, Tara Air Flight 197 lost contact with ATC 12 minutes after takeoff from Pokhara Airport. The wreckage was found 20 hours later on the side of a mountain in Sanosware, Mustang District; none of the 22 on board survived.[22]
Notes
- ↑ Tara Air has no registered IATA code allocated, but uses 'TB' (as an official IATA code would be used). However, officially, the IATA Code 'TB' is allocated to a Belgium airline TUI Airlines Belgium N.V dba TUI fly.[1]
- ↑ Tara Air has no registered ICAO code allocated, but uses 'TRA' on scheduling, ticketing and baggage (as an official ICAO code would be used). However, officially, the ICAO Code 'TRA' is allocated to Transavia.[2]
References
- ↑ "Airline and Airport Code Search". www.iata.org. Retrieved Jul 31, 2026.
- 1 2 "Flight Schedule". Tara Air. Archived from the original on 6 October 2017. Retrieved 10 October 2017.
- ↑ Team, SubhKhabar News (3 September 2024). "Tara Air to resume Pokhara-Jomsom flight starting today". Subhkhabar. Retrieved 3 September 2024.
- ↑ "Profile on Tara Air | CAPA". Centre for Aviation. Retrieved 2013-06-08.
- ↑ "About Us". Tara Air. Archived from the original on 30 May 2022. Retrieved 20 March 2022.
- ↑ "The EU Air Safety List - European Commission". transport.ec.europa.eu. Retrieved 2025-02-07.
- ↑ "About Us". Tara Air. Archived from the original on 2013-05-09. Retrieved 2013-06-08.
- ↑ "Explore Nepal Archived 2011-10-30 at the Wayback Machine." (Archive) Tara Air. Retrieved on 29 December 2011. "Tara Air Pvt. Ltd. Tilganga, Kathmandu, GPO Box 20011"
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "Route Map". Tara Air. Archived from the original on 12 November 2010.
- ↑ "Domestic airline companies issue travel alert for passengers". The Himalayan Times. April 2019. Retrieved 1 April 2019.
- ↑ "Lukla Tenzing Hillary Airport". FlightRadar24. Retrieved 21 January 2020.
- ↑ "Global Airline Guide 2025 - Tara Air". Airliner World. September 2025. p. 69.
- ↑ Asquith, James. "The 2019 List Of The Most Dangerous Airlines In The World". Forbes. Retrieved 2020-12-19.
- ↑ Nepalnews.com[permanent dead link], accessed December 6, 2010
- ↑ Ranter, Harro. "CFIT Accident de Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otter 310 9N-AFX, Wednesday 15 December 2010". aviation-safety.net. Retrieved Jul 31, 2026.
- ↑ "All passengers killed in Nepal plane crash". BBC News. 2010-12-16. Retrieved 2010-12-16.
- ↑ Hradecky, Simon. "Accident: Tara D228 at Simikot on Jun 23rd 2011, hard landing results in runway excursion and gear collapse". Aviation Herald. Retrieved 25 June 2011.
- ↑ "Accident description". Retrieved 25 September 2017.
- ↑ "Plane crashes in Nepal midway through 19-minute flight; 23 feared dead". CNN. 24 February 2016.
- ↑ "Tara Air's Plane Slipped Off At Ramechhap Airport". Spotlight Nepal. 22 April 2019. Retrieved 1 November 2019.
- ↑ Cost, Ben (7 December 2021). "Passengers forced to push plane down runway after tire ruptures". New York Post. Retrieved 1 January 2021.
- ↑ "Twin Otter in Nepal im Himalaya abgestürzt" [Twin Otter crashed in the Himalayas in Nepal]. aeroTELEGRAPH (in Swiss High German). 29 May 2022. Archived from the original on 31 May 2022. Retrieved 30 May 2022.
External links
Media related to Tara Air at Wikimedia Commons
