The goal of international aviation is “no country left behind,” yet the risks in the Himalayan monarchy are significantly higher than they are elsewhere.
Global passenger aviation has significantly improved in safety. There were no fatal crashes involving scheduled passenger jet aircraft in 2023. The first and deadliest of the two deadly incidents, both involving propeller aircraft, occurred in Nepal. On the approach to Pokhara, Yeti Airlines flight YT673 from Kathmandu crashed. An disaster involving all 72 passengers and crew members was blamed to pilot error.
The cause of the most recent disaster, which happened along the same road, is yet unknown. The commuter plane operated by Saurya Airlines slid and crashed into a ravine when it was taking off from the capital of Nepal. The other eighteen people aboard did not survive, but the pilot did. Due to the disaster, Nepal has experienced 14 catastrophic crashes in the past 14 years, far more than any other nation in the world.
The current series started in August 2010 when a mechanical issue forced an Agni Air domestic flight from Kathmandu to Lukla to turn back, killing fourteen passengers.
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