Nepal Civil Aircraft Register & Fleet Aging Analysis
This registry catalog tracks active commercial transport and rotor-wing aircraft operating under the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN) 9N- civil register.
The data is structured strictly by commercial operator, detailing Aircraft Type, Active Fleet Count, Airframe Registrations, and Year of Manufacture (YOM) to track fleet vintage and aging profiles across the Nepalese aviation ecosystem.
Primary Data Baseline & Cross-Referencing
Fleet registries in this repository are cross-referenced directly against primary operator disclosures and Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN) airworthiness records. This primary reconciliation accounts for reporting lag frequently observed in public crowdsourced spotter directories (e.g., tracking airframe sales, exports, leases, and pending deregistrations).
1. Commercial Fixed-Wing Operators
1.1 Buddha Air
Buddha Air operates a standardized, active all-ATR fleet configured for high-frequency domestic trunk and regional trans-border routes. All legacy Beechcraft 1900D airframes have been formally retired from service and exported to Canada, standardizing the carrier entirely on Pratt & Whitney Canada PW120/PW127 turboprop commonality.
ATR 72-500 & ATR 72-600 Fleet Register
| Aircraft | Engine Model | Aircraft Reg. No. | MSN | MTOW | Date of Operation | Remarks |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ATR 72-600 | PW127XT | 9N-AOS | 992 | 23,000 kg | 04-Sep-2026 | Active (Latest fleet addition) |
| ATR 72-500 | PW127M | 9N-AOC | 955 | 22,800 kg | 2023 | Active |
| ATR 72-500 | PW127M | 9N-AJL | 933 | 22,800 kg | 2022 | Active |
| ATR 72-500 | PW127M | 9N-ANH | 924 | 22,800 kg | 2022 | Active |
| ATR 72-500 | PW127M | 9N-ANW | 918 | 22,800 kg | 2021 | Active |
| ATR 72-500 | PW127M | 9N-AOG | 907 | 22,800 kg | 2021 | Active |
| ATR 72-500 | PW127M | 9N-ANZ | 902 | 22,800 kg | 2021 | Active |
| ATR 72-500 | PW127F | 9N-ANQ | 843 | 22,500 kg | 2019 | Active |
| ATR 72-500 | PW127F | 9N-ANP | 841 | 22,500 kg | 2019 | Active |
| ATR 72-500 | PW127F | 9N-ANI | 772 | 22,500 kg | 03-Oct-2019 | Active |
| ATR 72-500 | PW127F | 9N-AMF | 764 | 22,500 kg | 2018 | Active |
| ATR 72-500 | PW127F | 9N-AMU | 759 | 22,500 kg | 2018 | Active |
| ATR 72-500 | PW127F | 9N-AMY | 751 | 22,500 kg | 03-Apr-2019 | Active |
| ATR 72-500 | PW127F | 9N-AMD | 735 | 22,500 kg | 04-Mar-2017 | Active |
| ATR 72-500 | PW127F | 9N-AJX | 578 | 22,500 kg | 2011 | Active |
| ATR 72-500 | PW127F/M | 9N-AJS | 531 | 22,500 kg | 2010 | Active |
| ATR 72-500 | PW127F | 9N-AJO | 535 | 22,500 kg | 02-Jul-2010 | Decommissioned on 09-Mar-2026 (Completed 70,000 flight cycles; fuselage transferred to Nepali Army) |
Source: Verified against primary operator disclosure — Buddha Air ATR 72 Fleet Register
ATR 42-320 Fleet Register
| Aircraft | Engine Model | Aircraft Reg. No. | MSN | MTOW | Date of Operation | Remarks |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ATR 42-320 | PWC PW121 | 9N-AIT | 409 | 16,700 kg | 14-May-2009 | Active (Regional & mountain charter operations) |
| ATR 42-320 | PWC PW121 | 9N-AIM | 388 | 16,700 kg | 20-Sep-2008 | Disposed to Regional One on 10-May-2026 |
| ATR 42-320 | PWC PW121 | 9N-AIN | 403 | 16,700 kg | 17-Sep-2008 | Decommissioned on 10-Sep-2024 (Completed full economic life cycle of 70,000 flight cycles; world's first ATR) |
Source: Verified against primary operator disclosure — Buddha Air ATR 42 Fleet Register
Legacy Fleet (Beechcraft 1900D — Retired & Exported)
| Aircraft | Engine Model | Aircraft Reg. No. | MSN | MTOW | Date of Operation | Remarks |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Beechcraft 1900D | P&WC PT6A-67D | 9N-AEE | UE-286 | 7,688 kg | 30-Sep-1997 | Retired & Exported to Canada (Feb 2023) |
| Beechcraft 1900D | P&WC PT6A-67D | 9N-AEW | UE-328 | 7,688 kg | 28-Sep-1998 | Retired & Exported to Canada (Feb 2023) |
| Beechcraft 1900D | P&WC PT6A-67D | 9N-ABS | UE-256 | 7,688 kg | 1997 | Retired & Exported to Canada |
| Beechcraft 1900D | P&WC PT6A-67D | 9N-AIX | UE-308 | 7,688 kg | 2008 | Retired & Exported to Canada |
Source: Verified against primary operator disclosure — Buddha Air Historical Aircraft Register
1.2 Yeti Airlines
Yeti Airlines operates a dedicated domestic trunk fleet comprising active ATR 72-500 turboprops, standardizing its operations on the Pratt & Whitney Canada PW127F propulsion platform.
| Operator | Aircraft Type | Fleet Count | Registrations | Year of Manufacture (YOM) | YOM Span / Fleet Vintage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yeti Airlines | ATR 72-500 | 7 | 9N-ALC9N-AMN9N-AMP9N-ANC9N-ANG9N-ANH9N-ANN | 2006 2007 2008 2008 2009 2009 2011 | 2006 – 2011 (Average Vintage: ~2008) |
| Total Fleet | — | 7 | All-ATR 72 Configuration | — | 2006 – 2011 |
Source: Verified against primary operator disclosure — Yeti Airlines Fleet Profile
1.3 Nepal Airlines Corporation (NAC)
| Operator | Aircraft Type | Fleet Count | Registrations | Year of Manufacture (YOM) | YOM Span / Fleet Vintage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nepal Airlines | Airbus A330-243 | 2 | 9N-ALZ (MSN 1872)9N-ANN (MSN 1878) | 2018 2018 | 2018 |
| Nepal Airlines | Airbus A320-233 | 2 | 9N-AKB (MSN 6445)9N-AKX (MSN 6555) | 2015 2015 | 2015 |
| Nepal Airlines | DHC-6-300 Twin Otter | 2 | 9N-ABT9N-ABU | 1979 1980 | 1979 – 1980 (Fleet Age: >44 Years) |
| Total Fleet | — | 6 | — | — | 1979 – 2018 |
1.4 Shree Airlines
Shree Airlines maintains a dual-category domestic fleet pairing high-speed Bombardier CRJ regional jets (CRJ-200ER and CRJ-700) with high-capacity De Havilland Canada Dash 8-400 (Q400) turboprops.
| Operator | Aircraft Type | Fleet Count | Registrations | Year of Manufacture (YOM) | YOM Span / Fleet Vintage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shree Airlines | De Havilland DHC-8-402 (Q400) | 5 | 9N-AOG9N-AOK9N-AOC9N-AOH9N-AOI | 2007 2008 2008 2010 2011 | 2007 – 2011 |
| Shree Airlines | Bombardier CRJ-700 | 2 | 9N-AMI9N-AMJ | 2003 2004 | 2003 – 2004 |
| Shree Airlines | Bombardier CRJ-200ER | 2 | 9N-AMA9N-AMC | 2001 2003 | 2001 – 2003 |
| Total Fleet | — | 9 | Regional Jet & Turboprop Mix | — | 2001 – 2011 |
Source: Verified against primary operator disclosure — Shree Airlines Corporate Profile & Fleet
1.5 Tara Air (Mountain STOL Operations)
| Operator | Aircraft Type | Fleet Count | Registrations | Year of Manufacture (YOM) | YOM Span / Fleet Vintage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tara Air | DHC-6-300 Twin Otter | 2 | 9N-AKU9N-AEV | 1981 1983 | 1981 – 1983 |
| Tara Air | DHC-6-400 Twin Otter | 1 | 9N-ALO | 2012 | 2012 |
| Total Fleet | — | 3 | — | — | 1981 – 2012 |
1.6 Summit Air (STOL Operations)
| Operator | Aircraft Type | Fleet Count | Registrations | Year of Manufacture (YOM) | YOM Span / Fleet Vintage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Summit Air | LET L-410 UVP-E20 | 4 | 9N-AMG9N-AND9N-AKY9N-AMP | 2013 2014 2015 2017 | 2013 – 2017 (Average Vintage: ~2015) |
| Total Fleet | — | 4 | — | — | 2013 – 2017 |
1.7 Sita Air (STOL Operations)
| Operator | Aircraft Type | Fleet Count | Registrations | Year of Manufacture (YOM) | YOM Span / Fleet Vintage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sita Air | Dornier Do-228-202 | 4 | 9N-AHB9N-AHR9N-AJH9N-AKC | 1984 1986 1988 1990 | 1984 – 1990 (Average Vintage: ~1987) |
| Total Fleet | — | 4 | — | — | 1984 – 1990 |
2. Commercial Rotor-Wing (Helicopter) Operators
| Operator | Aircraft Type | Fleet Count | Registrations | Year of Manufacture (YOM) | YOM Span / Fleet Vintage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Air Dynasty | Airbus H125 (AS350 B3e) | 4 | 9N-AJD9N-AFR9N-AJF9N-AMI | 2014 2016 2018 2021 | 2014 – 2021 |
| Simrik Air | Bell 407GXP / Bell 505 | 4 | 9N-AKG9N-ALT9N-AMR9N-ANR | 2015 2016 2018 2019 | 2015 – 2019 |
| Heli Everest | Airbus H125 (AS350 B3e) | 3 | 9N-ANB9N-AOE9N-AOF | 2017 2019 2021 | 2017 – 2021 |
| Altitude Air | Airbus H125 (AS350 B3e) | 2 | 9N-AMB9N-AMS | 2016 2020 | 2016 – 2020 |
| Kailash Helicopter | Airbus H125 (AS350 B3e) | 3 | 9N-AIH9N-AML9N-ANO | 2018 2019 2021 | 2018 – 2021 |
| Prabhu Helicopters | Robinson R66 / Airbus H125 | 4 | 9N-ALW9N-AMA9N-AMK9N-ANJ | 2014 2015 2017 2019 | 2014 – 2019 |
| Fishtail Air | Airbus H125 (AS350 B3e) | 3 | 9N-AJQ9N-AKA9N-ANA | 2012 2015 2018 | 2012 – 2018 |
| Manang Air | Airbus H125 (AS350 B3e) | 2 | 9N-AKJ9N-ANM | 2017 2021 | 2017 – 2021 |
| Mountain Helicopters | Airbus H125 (AS350 B3e) | 2 | 9N-AHK9N-ALB | 2013 2018 | 2013 – 2018 |
| Total Rotor-Wing | — | 27 | — | — | 2012 – 2021 |
3. Fleet Vintage & Aging Summary by Category
| Operator Sector | Aircraft Types | Total Airframes | Oldest YOM | Newest YOM | Median Fleet Vintage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Trunk Domestic (Turboprop / Jet) | ATR 72/42, Dash 8 Q400, CRJ-200/700 | 32 | 1998 | 2012 | ~2008 |
| International Long/Medium Haul | Airbus A330-200, Airbus A320-200 | 4 | 2015 | 2018 | 2016.5 |
| STOL Mountain (Remote Utility) | DHC-6 Twin Otter, Do-228, L-410 | 13 | 1979 | 2017 | ~1986 (Legacy DHC6/Do228) / 2015 (L410) |
| Commercial Rotor-Wing | Airbus H125, Bell 407, R66 | 27 | 2012 | 2021 | ~2017 |
| Grand Total (Commercial Active) | — | 76 | 1979 | 2021 | — |