Dangers Of Mountain Flights In Nepal And The Policy Of Airlines

Mountain flight in Nepal is the best way to see the Mt. Everest for those who cannot climb it. Along with Mt. Everest, one can see the highest mountain peaks in the world through mountain flights. However, the increased number of air crashes and aviation incidents in Nepal has increased the question of safety of mountain flights. Because majority of the airports in Nepal lie in the hilly and mountainous region, almost every flight in hilly areas are no less than the ride of one’s life. Landing on hilly airports of Nepal is a nightmare.

Policy of airline companies and

how they tackle bad weather
Private airline companies in Nepal operate flights to the Everest daily, early in the morning. The first flight usually happens around 06:30 in the morning and every airline operates 5-6 mountain flights every day. So, this means about 40 mountain flights every day up to 8 AM. Because of good weather condition, mountain flights are conducted only in the morning. There is less turbulence, more visibility and fresh sunlight in the morning. So, mountain flights are quite safe.

So what is the cause of air crash incidents?
In the history of Nepal aviation, only one air crash incident has happened during the mountain flight, and that too, while trying to land in Kathmandu airport – just

2 minutes away from the runway threshold. The main cause of this accident was low visibility due to rain.

What do airlines do in case of rain during mountain flights?
A detailed overview of the weather is taken. This involves calculating the visibility, wind factors, temperatures, turbulence, icing conditions etc. If everything is above the safety threshold, a “first” aircraft is sent towards the Himalayan region. This first aircraft checks whether clouds are clear or not, and that we could see the mountains or not. If the results are positive, clearance is given to other flights. If not, the plane returns and the airline company is forced to postpone the mountain flights for future schedule.

So, as you can see, there is no risk taken in any way to conduct the mountain flight. Safety always comes first in the aviation field. In rare circumstances, the weather might deteriorate during the mountain flight, which is the cause for air crash incidents in Nepal. The weather in Himalayan region of Nepal is so unpredictable that it might be calm and clear now, but turbulent and foggy just after take-off.