Nepal Denies US Drone Test Permit at Mount Everest Base Camp

The camp sits at an altitude of 5,364 metres. The team intended to test the Alta X Gen 2 drone's capacity to transport supplemental oxygen bottles, ladders, mountain gear and food from the base camp to Camp I at 6,130 metres on the mountain’s southern ridge.

The test did not occur after Nepal’s Ministry of Home Affairs declined to issue a drone flight permit. An internal ministry memo cited “drone flying procedures” and “security sensitivity” as the reasons for the refusal. The US officials returned to Kathmandu without conducting the flight.

Chinese-made DJI drones have operated in the area since 2024. In that year, DJI tested its FlyCart 30 drone to ferry logistics for climbers and subsequently provided two units to AirLift Technology, a Nepalese company. This year DJI supplied its FlyCart 100 model to the same operator before the drone’s formal market launch.

Milan Pandey, director of AirLift Technology, said the FlyCart 100 can carry up to 45 kg to Camp I in less than three minutes. The drone can complete a round trip carrying loads and returning garbage in about eight minutes. Sherpas previously required six to seven hours to reach Camp I and a full day for the round journey.

On normal days the DJI FlyCart 100 carries more than 900 kg of load to Camp I. It can transport at least 10 oxygen cylinders in a few minutes, a task that takes three Sherpas an entire day. The drone also removes poop bags and other rubbish from the slopes.

The ministry’s decision to deny the US permit led to a one-week suspension of operating permits for the Chinese DJI FlyCart 100 drones as well. “Drones have made it easier, but the controversy hampered our work this year,” Pandey told Al Jazeera. The suspension affected ladder transport to the Everest icefall during the critical rope-fixing period.

The permit denial occurred as the annual Everest climbing season began. A 12-member Nepalese team reached the summit on Wednesday to clear the route for hundreds of mountaineers expected in the coming weeks. Nepal has issued a record 492 climbing permits this year, with 109 going to Chinese nationals and 76 to US nationals.

China has restricted commercial Everest expeditions from its side of the mountain. Drone operations have reduced risks and time for Sherpas who traditionally carry gear along treacherous routes.

Binoj Basnyat, a retired major-general of the Nepalese army, said Nepal should verify the type of technology provided under economic aid and technological support. “We easily accept their aid, without verifying what kind of technology they are providing,” Basnyat told Al Jazeera.

He added that permission should be granted with due precaution. Pandey said his company is not pursuing US drones after a test in Kathmandu showed the Alta X Gen 2 can carry only 5 kg at high altitudes. He noted the US equipment was also more expensive than the DJI model.

The ban on drone operations was lifted on May 9, after which the Chinese drones resumed flights while the US drone remained grounded. >"The US leads in innovation, and we are glad to partner with local Nepa" — Sergio Gor (Al Jazeera).