Kathmandu: Himalaya Airlines, a Nepal – China joint venture company, resumed non-stop scheduled flights to Beijing on January 17, 2023.
The Kathmandu – Beijing flight was previously suspended in 2020 amidst the COVID-19 pandemic which has now recommenced after the withdrawal of travel restrictions by China on January 8, 2023. Himalaya Airlines is planning to reconnect with Beijing Daxing International Airport with its weekly service starting from February 11, 2023 and scheduled to fly every Saturday.
The first resumption flight, H9 665 departed from Tribhuvan International Airport at 10:41 hours (local time) and touched down at Beijing Daxing International Airport (PKX) at 17:04 hours (local time). The flight duration was 3 hours and 48 minutes. The return flight H9 666, from Beijing, was scheduled to depart at 18:05 hours (local time) and landed in Kathmandu at 21:56 hours (local time).
“With the approaching Chinese New Year holiday season, resuming non-stop direct flights between China and Nepal capitals is indeed stimulating for us. Through this connection, we are hopeful towards serving more passengers from China to Nepal and vice versa for tourism as well as business. We are very happy to reestablish this connectivity and look forward to cater our passengers with increased frequency.” remarked Mr. Vijay Shrestha, Vice President – Administration.
Himalaya Airlines is also the first Nepal based airline to directly connect Nepal with Northern China via Lhasa through the Trans-Himalayan route owing to reduced flight time by nearly 2 hours for a round trip.
About Himalaya Airlines Pvt. Ltd.
Himalaya Airlines (H9) a Nepal – China joint venture was established in 2014, with two core objectives; to promote people to people contact of Nepal with the other countries and to promote Nepal’s trade and tourism.
H9 is the joint alliance between Tibet Aviation Development & Investment Company Ltd. (TADIC) from Tibet Autonomous Region of The People’s Republic of China and Yeti World Investment Pvt. Ltd. of Kathmandu, Nepal.
Within a short span of seven years of establishment, H9 acquired 4 aircraft in its fleet; three Airbus 320-214 configured with 180 all-economy seats and one Airbus 319-115 with 144 economy seats. H9 is currently operating passenger flights to prominent countries of Middle East & South Asia: UAE, Malaysia, Qatar, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Bangladesh whereas cargo flights exclusively to & from China.
In the first year of commercial operations, H9 received the international award for “Leading New International Airlines in South Asia” at South Asian Travel Awards (SATA) 2017.
In August 2020, Himalaya Airlines secured its first ISO 9001:2015 certification for Quality Management Systems (QMS) confirming Himalaya Airlines’ competency in providing Aircraft Maintenance and Engineering services in line with the Airline’s vision of offering highest possible standards in every area of its operation.
On December 29 2021, Himalaya Airlines became the first airline in Nepal to successfully achieve ISO 9001-2015 QMS certification. The airlines received the certificate in recognition of the organization’s Quality Management System (QMS) complying with ISO 9001-2015. The ISO certificate has been earned for “Providing Air Transport for Traveling Passengers and Freight, including Aviation Related Training Services.” The achievement demonstrates the team’s dedication to high performance work practices and a confirmation of the airlines’ ongoing commitment to quality.
To ensure flying with Himalaya is safer than ever before, starting 2021, Himalaya Airlines introduced Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs) a life-saving device onboard all its fleet. With this, Himalaya Airlines stands to be the first ever and the only Nepalese airlines to carry AEDs onboard. With the aim to excel in safety, on time performance (OTP) and most primarily, in service to its customers, H9 has established itself as a trusted airline of choice and aspires to rise as a leading airline in South Asia.
