Fishtail Air

Fishtail Air Pvt. Ltd. is a Nepalese helicopter operator headquartered at Tribhuvan International Airport in Kathmandu. Established in 1997 under an Air Operators Certificate issued by the Government of Nepal, the company operates chartered helicopter flights within Nepal and has also undertaken international charter work to Bhutan and India. Its activities include sightseeing and mountaineering flights, passenger and cargo charters, remote-area transport, and emergency or mountain-rescue missions. The company is associated particularly with Himalayan aviation, where helicopters provide access to areas with limited or no conventional road infrastructure. Fishtail Air has operated missions connected with destinations and routes around the Everest region, Lukla, Humla, Simikot, Hilsa, and other high-altitude locations. It has also seasonally based a helicopter at Simikot Airport, from where it has served travelers visiting Mount Kailash and Lake Manasarovar. These operations combine tourism logistics with the demanding aviation requirements of remote mountain environments. Fishtail Air became known in Nepalese and international media for unusual rescue operations in the Himalayas. In 2010, the company participated in a Swiss television documentary about mountain rescuers and worked with Air Zermatt on plans for a mountaineering rescue station at Lukla. Italian mountaineer Simone Moro also worked as a pilot for the company during this period. The rescue profile helped distinguish Fishtail Air from operators focused solely on sightseeing and routine charter transport. The airline's operating history was affected by the Nepalese Civil War, during which it did not operate from 2003 through 2007. In 2014, Fishtail Air entered a cooperation agreement with Goma Air intended to support Nepalese tourism. After Goma Air adopted the name Summit Air, Fishtail Air temporarily changed its own name to Summit Helicopters on 11 June 2018 to reflect the relationship. The original Fishtail Air name was restored on 15 January 2020. The company has also experienced serious safety incidents, including fatal crashes in 2001, 2010, 2013, and 2016. Investigations into the 2010 and 2016 accidents attributed the causes to flight-control and human-factors issues, respectively. The company is listed as currently banned from flying into the European Union. Publicly available reference material does not establish a separate corporate parent, public listing, current executive roster, or current fleet composition. Fishtail Air's identifiable market position is therefore that of a specialized Nepalese helicopter carrier combining premium mountain tourism, charter aviation, remote-area access, and rescue capability.

Fishtail Air was founded in Kathmandu in 1997 and began operating under an Air Operators Certificate issued by the Government of Nepal. From its base at Tribhuvan International Airport, it developed as a helicopter carrier serving the country's difficult mountain geography. Its core work has consisted of domestic charter flights, but the operator has also supported tourism, remote-area transport, and rescue activity. It has undertaken international charter flights to Bhutan and India. The Nepalese Civil War interrupted the company's activity. Fishtail Air did not operate between 2003 and 2007, after which it returned to the market. The operator subsequently became associated with Himalayan rescue work and high-altitude aviation. Its aircraft have been used for missions in areas where terrain, weather, and lack of roads make conventional transport impractical. The company has consequently received attention for successful and unusual rescues in the Himalayas, as well as for its tourism and charter services. In 2010, Fishtail Air was featured in a Swiss television documentary concerning mountain rescuers in the Himalayas. The program documented cooperation with Switzerland's Air Zermatt in efforts to establish a mountaineering rescue station at Lukla. During the same period, mountaineer Simone Moro worked as a pilot for Fishtail Air. The company's operational footprint has also included seasonal helicopter activity from Simikot Airport. Simikot has served as a base for flights connected with Mount Kailash and Lake Manasarovar, making the operator relevant to pilgrimage and high-altitude tourism logistics as well as domestic transport. A strategic relationship with Goma Air was announced in 2014 with the stated goal of strengthening Nepal's tourism industry. The two businesses were led at the time by Bikash JB Rana, which helped facilitate cooperation. When Goma Air changed its name to Summit Air, Fishtail Air adopted the name Summit Helicopters on 11 June 2018 in order to make the relationship more visible. The original Fishtail Air name returned on 15 January 2020. The company's history also includes several fatal accidents. In November 2001, an AS350 crashed into Rara Lake, killing Princess Prekshya of Nepal, two other passengers, and the pilot. In November 2010, an AS350 crashed during a rescue mission on Mount Ama Dablam. The investigation concluded that the pilots failed to recognize and arrest lateral drift to the left because they lacked adequate ground reference before the main rotors struck. In June 2013, another AS350 crashed in Humla district on a Simikot-to-Hilsa flight, killing one person. In August 2016, an AS350 crashed in Nuwakot while traveling from Gorkha to Kathmandu, killing all seven occupants; the final report identified pilot stress as the cause. Fishtail Air is described in the available reference material as an active Nepalese helicopter operator, although detailed current information about its fleet, ownership, management, financial position, and route network is not established there. The same material states that the company is currently prohibited from flying into the European Union. Its enduring identity is that of a specialist Himalayan aviation provider whose activities span charter travel, mountain tourism, remote-area access, and rescue operations.

• 2020

  Fishtail Air name restored

  [1]Fishtail Airen.wikipedia.org

  The original Fishtail Air name was reinstated on 15 January.

• 2018

  Temporary rebranding as Summit Helicopters

  [1]Fishtail Airen.wikipedia.org

  On 11 June, the company adopted the Summit Helicopters name to reflect its relationship with Goma Air, which had become Summit Air.

• 2014

  Cooperation agreement with Goma Air

  [1]Fishtail Airen.wikipedia.org

  Fishtail Air signed a cooperation deal with Goma Air intended to support Nepalese tourism.

• 2010

  Himalayan rescue collaboration documented

  [1]Fishtail Airen.wikipedia.org

  Fishtail Air participated in a documentary about Himalayan rescue work and collaborated with Air Zermatt around a proposed rescue station at Lukla.

• 2007

  Operations resumed

  [1]Fishtail Airen.wikipedia.org

  The operator returned to service after the wartime interruption.

• 2003

  Operations suspended during Nepalese Civil War

  [1]Fishtail Airen.wikipedia.org

  Fishtail Air ceased operations during the Nepalese Civil War and remained inactive through 2007.

• 1997

  Fishtail Air established

  [1]Fishtail Airen.wikipedia.org

  The company was founded in Kathmandu and began operating under a Nepalese Government Air Operators Certificate.

A specialized Himalayan helicopter operator combining mountain tourism, charter transportation, remote-area access, and rescue aviation.

• Tourism aviation

  Himalayan sightseeing flights

  Fishtail Air provides helicopter sightseeing and mountaineering flights in Nepal, including services associated with the Everest region. These flights use helicopters to provide access to high-altitude scenery and destinations that are difficult to reach by road or fixed-wing aircraft. The available reference material identifies Everest tours and broader Himalayan tourism as important parts of the company's public profile.

• Charter aviation · 1997

  Domestic helicopter charters

  The company's principal aviation activity is domestic charter flying throughout Nepal. Charter operations can connect airports, mountain settlements, trekking areas, and other remote locations, and may support passenger, tourism, logistical, or emergency requirements. The available source does not specify a standard schedule or fare structure.

• Charter aviation

  International helicopter charters

  Fishtail Air has also carried out international charter flights to Bhutan and India. These services extend the company's role beyond Nepalese domestic transport, although the available reference does not provide a regular route list, frequency, or detailed customer segmentation.

• Emergency aviation

  Mountain rescue missions

  Mountain rescue is a distinctive part of Fishtail Air's identity. The company has performed rescue missions in the Himalayas and was involved in efforts to develop a mountaineering rescue capability at Lukla with Air Zermatt. Such work requires high-altitude helicopter operations in difficult terrain, with significant exposure to weather, visibility, and landing constraints.

• Remote-area transport

  Simikot–Kailash and Manasarovar services

  Seasonally, Fishtail Air operates a helicopter from Simikot Airport. From this seasonal base, it serves travelers associated with Mount Kailash and Lake Manasarovar. The service illustrates the company's role in linking remote Himalayan aviation with pilgrimage and high-altitude tourism.

• 2010The Mountain Rescuers in the Himalayas

  Switzerland · Nepal

  Fishtail Air participated in a Swiss television documentary covering Himalayan rescue work, including cooperation with Air Zermatt and plans for a rescue station at Lukla.

  Outcome. The documentary increased international visibility for the company's mountain-rescue activities; the available source does not document audience or commercial results.

  Source

• 2020

  Restoration of the Fishtail Air brandStrategy

  Background

  The operator had used the Summit Helicopters name since 2018 in connection with its cooperation with Summit Air.

  Action taken

  The original Fishtail Air name was restored on 15 January 2020.

  Aftermath

  The company continued to be identified as Fishtail Air in the available reference material.

  Source

• 2018

  Adoption of the Summit Helicopters nameStrategy

  Background

  Fishtail Air was cooperating with Goma Air, which had changed its name to Summit Air.

  Action taken

  On 11 June 2018, Fishtail Air changed its name to Summit Helicopters to make the cooperation more visible.

  Aftermath

  The company restored the Fishtail Air name on 15 January 2020.

  Source

1. 1Fishtail Airen.wikipedia.org