Saurya Airlines, the Nepali domestic carrier grounded following a tragic accident in July last year, has received approval from the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN) to conduct a test flight after an eight-month hiatus. The permission was granted on Thursday for one of the two CRJ-200ER aircraft owned by the airline. The aircraft, registered as ‘Alpha November Mike’, will conduct a test flight over the skies of Kathmandu on Friday. The aircraft has not been permitted to operate beyond Kathmandu’s airspace during the test phase.
According to CAAN co-spokesperson Gyanendra Bhul, the test flight aims to ensure all systems, equipment, and navigational tools onboard are functioning safely and effectively. “The purpose of such a flight is to verify that all technical aspects work properly and the aircraft can fly safely,” he said. A technical report must be submitted by the pilots and engineers involved following the flight.
Captain Anup Thapa and trainer pilot Dharmendra Singh will be piloting the aircraft for the test, accompanied by three aviation engineers. The decision to allow the test flight came after Saurya Airlines submitted a formal request to CAAN on Wednesday. Vivechan Khanal, manager of the airline’s operations department, assured the authority that the airline now meets all necessary safety and technical standards.
Saurya Airlines was grounded after a fatal accident occurred on July 8, 2024, when one of its CRJ aircraft, on a repositioning flight from Kathmandu to Pokhara, crashed in the northeastern vicinity of Tribhuvan International Airport. The crash claimed the lives of 18 people, most of whom were airline technicians. Only one pilot survived and is currently undergoing treatment.
A preliminary investigation pointed to improper loading and abnormal flight speed as probable causes of the crash, though a full accident investigation report has yet to be released. Before the accident, Saurya operated flights to destinations such as Bhadrapur and Biratnagar with a fleet of three aircraft. Since the incident, only two CRJ aircraft remain in its fleet, with just one currently airworthy; the other remains under maintenance.
Saurya Airlines President Deepak Pokharel confirmed that the airline is resuming operations step-by-step. “We are carrying out a test flight tomorrow (Friday) after fulfilling all manpower and technical standards that were impacted by the accident,” Pokharel said. He further shared that the airline plans to resume commercial operations soon and will conduct a test flight for the second CRJ aircraft within the coming months.
Additionally, Pokharel revealed that the airline’s major investor, the Indian-based Kuber Group in Dubai, is in the process of acquiring ATR-600 aircraft. Once the new aircraft are operational, the company plans to phase out and sell the existing CRJ planes. Currently, Saurya’s CRJ aircraft accommodates up to 50 passengers. The resumption of flights marks a critical step in Saurya Airlines’ recovery journey and reflects ongoing efforts to restore confidence in domestic air travel safety.
Source: Kantipur
