Air travel service was started in Nepal by an Indian company, in 1953. In July 1958, Nepal established her own airline, named as Royal Nepal Airlines Corporation (RNAC). The airline started its operations with a Douglas DC-3 aircraft. Initially, Royal Nepal Airlines’ regional services were to Simara, Pokhara, Biratnagar, while it plied flights to international destinations including to the Indian cities of Delhi, Patna and Kolkata. In 1960s, the airline began expanding its fleet and its network of destinations. Royal Nepal Airlines acquired the turboprop Fokker F-27s, Twin Otter and Pilatus Porter aircrafts in 1970s, which allowed it to have easy access to a more number of remote and mountainous regions of Nepal. It moved on to purchase Hawker Siddeley HS-748 turboprops and then to and Boeing 727 jet airliners. In 1972, the runway of Kathmandu airport was expanded and then the airline acquired Boeing 727 aircrafts, which were gradually replaced by Boeing 757s. In 2003-2004, Nepal Government decided to sell off 49% share of the airline to private sector and handover the administrations, while retaining its 51% share.
 
Royal Nepal Airlines is the national flag-carrier airline of Nepal. As Nepal is a landlocked country and 90% of its area is covered by mountains, air transport is very vital for its economic development. Royal Nepal Airlines also plays a crucial role in the national integration of the country, as no other mode of transport is well-developed in the country. The major hub of Royal Nepal Airlines is Tribhuwan International Airport, Kathmandu.