Shangri-La Air
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| |||||||
| Commenced operations | 1999 | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ceased operations | 2008 | ||||||
| AOC # | 029/99[1] | ||||||
| Operating bases | Tribhuvan International Airport | ||||||
| Fleet size | 1 (at closure) | ||||||
| Headquarters | Kathmandu, Nepal | ||||||
| Employees | 250 (2001)[2] | ||||||
Shangri-La Air was an airline based in Nepal. It partly merged with Necon Air in 2001 and eventually ceased operations in 2008.[citation needed]
The airline started operations in October 1999 with one De Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otter aircraft.[3] Its name is derived from Shangri-La, a fictitious place described in James Hilton's 1933 novel Lost Horizon.[citation needed].
In 2001 Shangri-La Air and Karnali Air were partly merged into Necon Air. Shangri-La Air was operating a fleet of six aircraft, two Beechcraft 1900Ds and four De Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otters. Necon Air took over the Beechcraft,[2] and Shangri-La continued operating the DHC-6s.
In August 2002,[4] after the loss of one DHC-6, the airline operated only two aircraft.[5] In 2007 its fleet consisted of only one DHC-6, until its closure in 2008.[6]
Destinations
Shangri-La Air regularly served the following destinations, some of which were discontinued before its closure:[3]
It also ran scheduled mountain sightseeing flights from Kathmandu to the Mount Everest range. They usually departed in the early morning hours and returned one hour later.[7]
Fleet
At the time of closure, Shangri-La Air operated the following aircraft:[2]
| Aircraft | In fleet | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| De Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otter | 1 | |
Former fleet
| Aircraft | In fleet | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Beechcraft 1900D | 2 | |
| De Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otter | 3 | |