Everest / Khumbu
The busiest rescue region in Nepal. Common pickups: Lukla, Namche Bazaar, Tengboche, Dingboche, Pheriche, Lobuche, Gorak Shep and EBC. Altitude cases dominate above Dingboche, and early morning calls fly first.
Coverage areas
Everest to the far west, and every district between.
Flight times below are approximate one-way times from launch, in fair weather. Mountain pickups fly mostly in morning windows, before afternoon wind builds in the valleys.
Annapurna
Annapurna Base Camp, the Circuit, Tilicho, Manang, Muktinath and Jomsom. Pokhara-based launches keep response times short, with Kathmandu as backup and the main hospital destination for serious cases.
Langtang & Gosainkunda
The closest major trekking region to Kathmandu, which makes it one of the fastest to reach. Common pickups: Lama Hotel, Langtang village, Kyanjin Gompa and the Gosainkunda lakes.
Manaslu
Remote, high and increasingly popular. Pickups at Samagaun, Samdo and the Larke Pass approaches. Weather over the pass can force early launches, so report cases the moment symptoms appear.
Upper Mustang
High desert flying with strong midday winds through the Kali Gandaki valley. Morning launches are close to mandatory here. Common pickups: Kagbeni, Charang and Lo Manthang.
Kanchenjunga, Makalu, Dolpo & the far west
Low traffic, big distances. Missions to Kanchenjunga, Makalu Barun, Shey Phoksundo, Rara and Hilsa are planned with refueling and daylight margins, which makes an early call even more important.
Every district, not just the trekking map
Medical transfer flights collect patients from district hospitals, health posts and villages in all 77 districts of Nepal. If a helicopter can land safely nearby, the desk can plan the mission. If you are unsure whether your location is reachable, call and ask: the answer costs nothing.
Honest limits
What can delay a flight
Weather
Cloud in the valleys, wind on the ridges, snow at the landing zone. The pilot decides, and a delayed flight beats a lost aircraft. Coordinators keep you updated while waiting for a window.
Daylight
Mountain rescue in Nepal flies by visual rules in daylight. A case reported in the late afternoon often flies at first light, which is why calling early matters more than anything else.
Altitude and weight
Thin air cuts lift. At very high landing zones the crew may reduce fuel or passengers, or stage the pickup in two hops. This is planned before launch, not discovered on scene.
Trekking somewhere remote?
Save the hotline and your route details before you lose signal.