POKHARA, Jan 14: The weather that day was exceptionally clear. Maghe Sankranti filled the air with a palpable festive spirit. Pokhara’s residents were celebrating the festival with enthusiasm. Clear skies showcased the Himalayan range to the north, serene sunshine bathed the city, and Pokhara beamed with joy from early morning. But just at around 11 am, shocking news spread like wildfire: a plane had crashed in Pokhara.
The rumors circulating on social media turned out to be true. Exactly two years ago, on Magh 1, 2079 (January 15, 2023), Yeti Airlines' ATR 72-500 series aircraft with the call sign 9N-ANC tragically crashed in Pokhara. At 10:58 am, the aircraft approached the Pokhara Regional International Airport for its final landing but suddenly plunged into the Seti Gorge near the Miteri Bridge, located between wards 7 and 15 of Pokhara Metropolitan City. The crash took the lives of all 72 people on board - four crew members and 68 passengers.
Pokhara realized its nearly five-decade-old dream when authorities inaugurated the Pokhara Regional International Airport just 15 days before the crash, on January 1, 2023. Airlines immediately shifted all flights from the old airport to the new international airport on the day of its inauguration. While residents celebrated the long-awaited establishment of the international airport, tragedy struck when a plane crashed during its approach to land there. The crash not only claimed the lives of many beloved family members and friends in the Pokhara region but also left a lasting impact on its tourism sector.
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Locals consider the crash the greatest tragedy the Pokhara region has ever faced. Pokhara-based tourism entrepreneur Dharmaraj Panthi highlights the lingering pain caused by Yeti Airlines plane crash in Pokhara, saying, “The incident left a lasting impact. Even now, foreign visitors often bring it up. Forgetting it seems impossible.” He notes that the crash significantly affected Pokhara's tourism sector for a long time.
"Although the immediate impact has faded, the memory of that crash remains vivid in everyone's mind," he remarked. "An incident of such magnitude stays etched in memory everywhere. "He emphasized that the tragedy not only devastated those who lost loved ones but also deeply affected the collective consciousness of the entire nation. “The crash still comes up in conversations from time to time. Even two years later, the scenes of the crash play vividly in our minds,” Panthi shared. “That day, when Gandaki Province lost so many talented people, remains unforgettable for its residents.”
Former chairman of the Pokhara Tourism Council (PTC), Pom Narayan Shrestha, believes that Pokhara residents will never forget the Yeti Airlines crash. “It was an incident that brought immense pain to us, and we can never forget it,” Shrestha says. “Accidents happen everywhere and frequently. We can’t always avoid them, but the Yeti Airlines crash caused tremendous grief for us.” He further explains that the crash dealt the greatest blow to the tourism sector in particular.
Shrestha says that accidents occur daily in various countries, each leaving its own impact. He notes that Pokhara faced a similar blow at that time. “If the Yeti Airlines crash hadn’t occurred, the tourism sector would have reached even greater heights by now. After the crash, people feared flying, but that’s no longer the case. However, the incident added an unexpected pain to the residents of Pokhara,” he explains. “It took a long time for the airline involved in the crash to recover. The crash also raised doubts about Nepal’s airspace, but now, that situation is gradually improving.”
Hotel Association Nepal’s Central Member Bharatraj Parajuli says that even though two years have passed since the accident, its impact remained fresh until last year. "Two years have passed since the accident, and until last year, everyone still remembered the event, but gradually, its impact has faded," Parajuli says. "In Nepal, one incident’s impact doesn't subside before another happens, especially affecting the tourism sector."
He highlights that the accident significantly impacted the tourism sector. “The accident in Pokhara remained unforgettable due to other shortcomings. We couldn’t address those shortcomings immediately,” he says. “At least, the message to be more cautious only became fully realized after the accident.” He also adds that the investigation committee has identified the causes of the accident, providing an opportunity to correct those shortcomings while moving forward.
Mani Raj Lamichhane, director of the Nepal Tourism Board, says that the Yeti Airlines crash is something that cannot be forgotten. “Although people often say bad events should be forgotten quickly, it’s impossible to forget them. The Yeti Airlines incident is one such case,” Lamichhane explains. “After the aviation accident in Pokhara, the tourism sector struggled, and we had to make significant efforts to revive it.” He points out that recent tourism-related events have helped to move past the crash's impact. “Programs are taking place at various levels in Pokhara. Through these events, we have worked to help people forget the accident’s impact.” He adds that, while accidents occur every day somewhere in the world, the focus should be on the subsequent activities and progress.
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