For flights between cities, Buddha Air is Nepal's largest domestic airline, with Yeti Airlines and Shree Airlines on the same trunk routes to Pokhara, Bharatpur, Biratnagar and Nepalgunj. For Lukla and other mountain strips, you fly with a STOL specialist: Tara Air, Sita Air or Summit Air. Pick by route, book the first morning flight, and keep a spare day for weather. Every Nepali airline is still on the EU Air Safety List in 2026.
- Largest domestic airlineBuddha Air (ATR 72)
- City routesBuddha Air, Yeti, Shree
- Lukla and mountain stripsTara Air, Sita Air, Summit Air
- Lukla fare (foreigners)USD 180 to 230 each way
- Lukla baggage15 kg including hand luggage
- EU Air Safety ListAll Nepali airlines, since Dec 2013
Are you planning a vacation to Nepal? If so, picking the best airline for your trip is a vital choice.
It can be challenging to pick the finest local airline for your trip to Nepal due to the sheer number of airlines available.
This guide runs through the domestic airlines flying in Nepal in 2026, what they fly and where, so you can match the airline to your route. For the safety side in more depth, read our guide on whether it is safe to fly in Nepal.
Nepal's Domestic Airlines at a Glance (October 2026)
This is who is flying and what they fly. Fleet details come from airline announcements and 2025 to 2026 news reports, and fleets change, so check the airline's own site before you book.
| Airline | Aircraft | Main routes | Mountain strips | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Buddha Air | ATR 72-500, ATR 72-600 | Pokhara, Bharatpur, Bhairahawa, Biratnagar, Nepalgunj, Everest mountain flight | No | Flying |
| Yeti Airlines | ATR 72-500 | Pokhara, Bhairahawa, Janakpur, Biratnagar, Nepalgunj | No | Flying |
| Shree Airlines | CRJ-200, Dash 8 Q400, helicopters | Main trunk routes between cities | No | Flying |
| Tara Air | DHC-6 Twin Otter | Lukla, Jomsom, Simikot and other STOL strips | Yes | Flying |
| Sita Air | Dornier 228 | Lukla, Phaplu, Jomsom | Yes | Flying |
| Summit Air | Let 410 | Lukla and other mountain strips | Yes | Flying |
| Nepal Airlines (domestic) | 2 DHC-6 Twin Otters | Remote western airstrips | Yes | Limited |
| Saurya Airlines | CRJ-200 | Limited restart in 2026 | No | Limited |
| Guna Airlines | None flying | No scheduled flights | No | Grounded |
1. Nepal Airlines
Nepal Airlines, the national flag carrier of Nepal, has been providing reliable air transportation since the 1950s. Its international network covers Asia and the Middle East, but its domestic service is now small: two Twin Otters flying to remote airstrips.
As the state-owned flag carrier, Nepal Airlines flies Airbus A320 and A330 jets on international routes and Twin Otter aircraft into remote mountain strips that no jet could reach. Its five remaining Chinese-built MA60 and Y12 aircraft have sat grounded since 2020, and in December 2024 every domestic flight stopped when its only working Twin Otter was grounded. Both Twin Otters were flying again by November 2025.
Photo: Nepal Airlines' Aircraft
In addition to regular domestic flights, Nepal Airlines also provides charter services for those wishing to travel in larger groups or for special occasions. Business class is offered on its international jets only.
For a visitor, Nepal Airlines matters more for international flights than domestic ones. Its domestic seats go mainly to remote western airstrips with few other options, and schedules there can change at short notice.
2. Buddha Air
Buddha Air is a leading domestic airline in Nepal, offering reliable, convenient, and comfortable air travel for both leisure and business travelers. Flying since 1997, Buddha Air is Nepal's largest domestic airline. Its fleet is built around the ATR 72-500, and in September 2026 it put Nepal's first ATR 72-600 into service. The older ATR 42s have been retired. Reports in 2026 put the fleet at 15 to 17 aircraft.
Operating from its main hub at Tribhuvan International Airport in Kathmandu, the airline flies the main trunk routes, including Pokhara, Bharatpur, Bhairahawa, Biratnagar, Bhadrapur and Nepalgunj, plus its Everest mountain sightseeing flights.
Buddha Air has a good reputation for service on its routes. It flies only between paved airports with longer runways, which is a big part of why its record is better than that of the mountain carriers.
Photo: Buddha Air aircraft
Flights are short, so service is simple: one cabin class, a light snack or drink, and window seats with mountain views on many routes.
Like every Nepali airline, Buddha Air charges foreign passengers a separate fare in US dollars, higher than the local rupee fare. Booking early gets you the cheaper fare buckets, and seasonal offers come up from time to time.
The airline also offers online booking on its website and app, and you can check your flight status there too.
3. Shree Airlines
One of the top domestic airlines in Nepal, Shree Airlines provides dependable and convenient service to all main domestic destinations. Shree began life as a helicopter operator in 1999 and launched fixed-wing services in 2017. It now flies Bombardier CRJ-200 regional jets and Dash 8 turboprops, including 80-seat Q400s, and still runs a helicopter fleet. In April 2026 it received approval to start scheduled international flights.
Shree Airlines flies the same trunk routes as Buddha Air and Yeti, and on many routes its fares are a little lower.
Photo: Shree Airlines' Aircraft
The cabin crew is courteous and responsive. On flights this short, expect a light snack and a drink.
4. Sita Air
Sita Air is the specialist you are most likely to meet if your trip involves Lukla and the Everest region. The airline has flown Dornier 228 STOL (short take-off and landing) aircraft since 2003, concentrating on the mountain strips of Lukla, Phaplu, and Jomsom, and it carries a large share of the trekking traffic into the Khumbu each season.
Aboard a 19-seat Dornier, the experience is part flight, part scenic tour: every seat gets a window, and on a clear morning the approach into the famously short, sloping Lukla runway is one of the most memorable twenty minutes in aviation. Fares to Lukla are broadly similar across operators, about USD 180 to 230 each way for foreigners, so schedule reliability is the main reason trekking agencies favour one carrier over another. In spring and autumn most Lukla flights leave from Manthali (Ramechhap), a 4 to 5 hour drive from Kathmandu, rather than from the capital.
A note on a name you may still find in older guides: Saurya Airlines, which flew CRJ-200 jets on trunk routes, lost an aircraft on take-off from Kathmandu on 24 July 2024 and stopped flying. Its operating certificate was renewed in January 2026 and it began a limited restart with a single jet, so check its schedule before you count on it.
Also read: Lukla Airport: How Dangerous Is It Really?
5. Yeti Airlines
One of the top domestic airlines in Nepal is Yeti Airlines. It was founded in 1998, making it one of the oldest airlines in the country. Its ATRs fly from Kathmandu to Pokhara, Bhairahawa, Janakpur, Bharatpur, Simara, Biratnagar, Nepalgunj and other lowland airports. Lukla and the other mountain strips are served by its sister airline, Tara Air.
The fleet is built around the ATR 72-500, a turboprop of about 70 seats.
Yeti's crews have a good name for friendly service on these short hops.
Photo: Yeti Airlines aircraft
The airline also runs seasonal fare offers, so compare Yeti, Buddha and Shree prices before you book.
However, the 15 January 2023 crash of a Yeti ATR 72 on approach to the new Pokhara International Airport, which killed all 72 people on board, remains a heavy shadow over the airline. The final investigation report concluded that the crew inadvertently feathered both propellers, cutting thrust and stalling the aircraft.
6. Tara Air
Tara Air provides domestic flights to locations all around the country. Since its founding in 2009 as the STOL subsidiary of Yeti Airlines, the airline has become an established choice for travelers seeking a reasonably priced means to traverse Nepal. Its small fleet is built around the DHC-6 Twin Otter, a rugged STOL aircraft made for short mountain strips.
Tara Air flies the hardest routes in Nepali aviation: short, high-altitude gravel and paved strips such as Lukla, Jomsom, and Simikot, often through fast-changing mountain weather. That operating environment, not carelessness, is why STOL flying carries more risk than trunk-route jets, and it is worth understanding the difference when you compare carriers. On 29 May 2022 a Tara Air Twin Otter crashed in cloud near Jomsom, killing all 22 people on board.
Photo: Tara Air aircraft
Tara Air serves more remote STOL strips than most Nepali airlines and also carries food, medicine and other supplies to remote districts that have no road.
The cabins are small and basic, with big windows and close-up mountain views. Baggage on mountain routes is limited, usually 15 kg including hand luggage on Lukla flights.
If your trek starts at Lukla, Jomsom or a western airstrip, Tara Air is one of the airlines you are most likely to fly with.
Other Airlines You May See
Summit Air, the former Goma Air, flies Let 410 aircraft into Lukla and other mountain strips and is the third name on most Lukla schedules. In April 2019 a Summit Air Let 410 veered off the runway on take-off at Lukla and hit a parked helicopter, killing three people. It is still the last fatal accident at Lukla.
Guna Airlines has not flown since early 2023, when the regulator grounded it over unpaid staff and debts, and its request to get its operating certificate back was turned down. Treat any Guna ticket offer with suspicion.
Recent Fatal Accidents by Airline
Most of Nepal's recent fatal crashes involved small aircraft flying into mountain weather. The deadliest, though, was a Yeti ATR 72 at Pokhara in 2023, which investigators put down to crew error. Our guide on flight safety in Nepal covers the causes in detail.
| Date | Airline | Aircraft | Where | Deaths |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 28 Sep 2012 | Sita Air | Dornier 228 | Kathmandu, after take-off | 19 |
| 14 Apr 2019 | Summit Air | Let 410 | Lukla, on take-off | 3 |
| 29 May 2022 | Tara Air | DHC-6 Twin Otter | Near Jomsom, in cloud | 22 |
| 15 Jan 2023 | Yeti Airlines | ATR 72-500 | Pokhara, on approach | 72 |
| 24 Jul 2024 | Saurya Airlines | CRJ-200 | Kathmandu, on take-off | 18 |
Practical Tips for Flying Domestic in Nepal
A few habits make domestic flying here smoother and safer. Book morning flights: mountain weather builds through the day, so the first departures have the best completion rates, especially for Lukla and Jomsom. Build a buffer day into any itinerary that depends on a mountain flight. In peak trekking seasons, most Lukla flights operate from Manthali/Ramechhap, about four to five hours by road from Kathmandu, rather than from the capital itself. Finally, know the context: every Nepali carrier remains on the EU Air Safety List, a blanket assessment of national oversight in place since December 2013 and still in force in October 2026, yet the trunk routes flown by ATR and jet aircraft between major cities have a much better record than the mountain routes. Weigh the route, the aircraft type, and the season rather than the airline brand alone.
Which Airline Should You Choose?
Pick by route first. Between cities, Buddha Air, Yeti and Shree all fly ATRs, Dash 8s or jets on paved runways. To Lukla and other mountain strips, your choice is Tara Air, Sita Air or Summit Air, and your trekking agency usually books whichever one has seats on the first morning flights.
Buddha Air, Yeti Airlines, Shree Airlines, Nepal Airlines, Sita Air, and Tara Air are all established options for those looking for a comfortable and enjoyable flight in Nepal. If you are trekking with us, we book your domestic flights and move you to the next available flight if the weather cancels yours.
Nepal Domestic Airlines: FAQs
Which is the best domestic airline in Nepal?
For city routes, Buddha Air is the biggest and the most common choice, with Yeti and Shree as close alternatives. For Lukla, the best airline is whichever of Tara Air, Sita Air or Summit Air has a seat on the earliest flight.
Which airlines fly to Lukla?
Tara Air, Sita Air and Summit Air, using small STOL aircraft. In spring and autumn most flights leave from Manthali (Ramechhap) and take about 20 minutes. Out of season they leave from Kathmandu and take about 35 minutes.
Do foreigners pay more for domestic flights in Nepal?
Yes. Foreign passengers pay a separate fare in US dollars, higher than the rupee fare for Nepali citizens. Lukla tickets cost about USD 180 to 230 each way.
Are Nepali airlines banned in Europe?
Every Nepali airline has been on the EU Air Safety List since December 2013, which bars them from EU airspace. The listing reflects the regulator's oversight. Nepal hoped to be removed by January 2027, but the reforms the EU wants had stalled in parliament as of October 2026.
How much baggage can I take on a Lukla flight?
About 15 kg in total, including hand luggage. Extra weight is charged per kilo and may fly on a later plane.
