Between Sky and Soil: The Life Journey of Sunil Shakya

Dirgha Raj Upadhyay

They say a pilot never truly lands — some part of his soul remains forever aloft. But rare individuals like Sunil Sakya not only learn to land planes; they master the art of bringing dreams to earth — grounding them with purpose, grace, and vision.

This is not just the story of a pilot or a hotelier. This is the journey of a man who lived by quiet conviction — who defied gravity not just in the air but in life, who dared to fly when others urged caution, and who returned to his roots when the skies still beckoned.

Legacy in His Blood, Vision in His Bones

Born in 1962, into a family deeply embedded in the cultural and commercial soul of Kathmandu, Sunil inherited more than a name — he inherited a legacy.

His grandfather, Siddhi Bahadur Shakya, was among the most esteemed gold traders in Ason during the Rana era. In a time of scarcity and silence, he was the man who set the price of gold — a quiet force of trust and integrity in Nepal’s bustling trade lanes.

His father, Karna Shakya, was a path-breaker. Educated, forward-thinking, and driven by purpose, he left the safety of government service to step into the unknown realm of tourism. In 1968, he founded the Kathmandu Guest House (KGH) — not just a hotel, but a gateway between Nepal and the world.

When the Sky Beckoned

Yet Sunil’s compass pointed elsewhere.

From his earliest years, he was drawn not to the earth beneath his feet but to the heavens above. Passing airplanes lit sparks of wonder. For him, the skies were not distant — they were destinations.

No one in his family encouraged this path. His grandmother, father, and wife — all were hesitant, even resistant. But Sunil’s spirit was quietly unshakable. Eventually, his father relented, sending him to Canada, where he trained at the Moncton Flying School.

He earned his wings in record time.

In 1983, he joined Royal Nepal Airlines — and the dream truly took flight.

Flight as a Way of Seeing

For Sunil, flying wasn’t about glory. It was about witnessing Nepal — in all its contrasts. It was about intimacy with terrain, with humanity, and with the silent suffering and strength found in the country’s most remote corners.

He flew the toughest routes: Simikot, Dolpa, Manang, Bajhang, Doti, Jumla — places where the clouds hung heavy, the winds turned wild, and the runways vanished in fog. There were no luxuries. Often, no bathrooms. Yet he flew, always alert, always grounded in purpose.

              “From the cockpit, I saw two Nepals — one hopeful, one forgotten.”

He was haunted by the inequality he witnessed from the skies:

“Why does Ilam flourish while Bajhang waits in silence? Both blessed by nature — but only one seems seen.”

These were not idle reflections. They became the seedbed of deeper transformation.

When He Let the Sky Go

After more than a decade in the skies — including a mission under the ICAO with the United Nations, and over 6,000 flight hours — a different kind of call came. His father’s voice, firm yet full of affection:

“Enough indulgence in flying. Come home. It’s time to serve in other ways.”

Sunil understood. The next chapter of his journey would not be in the sky, but on solid ground — in people, in place, in hospitality.

Thus began the evolution of the KGH Group — no longer just a guest house, but a constellation of soulful spaces across Nepal.

From Thamel to Budhanilkantha, Sarangkot to Lumbini, Chitwan to Patan, Sunil helped shape a legacy rooted not in luxury, but in character, charm, and care.

“We don’t sell rooms. We offer sanctuary — memory, warmth, and refuge.”

(During a cross-country flight, Pilot Shakya made his first landing at Teterboro Airport in New York City.)

Love, Loss, and the Quiet Strength Within

In 2015, amidst the devastating aftershocks of Nepal’s earthquake, Sunil faced a loss that eclipsed every storm he had weathered in the sky.

His beloved wife, Babita, who had bravely survived a kidney transplant, passed away tragically. The medications had left her bones fragile. In the panic of the quake, she fell down a staircase and collapsed             — the cause: internal hemorrhage. It was a sudden, searing blow.

     No turbulence, no crash, no cockpit silence had ever felt this deafening.

But from that grief, resilience rose.

Sunil devoted himself to his daughters — Amy and Maya. Amy, trained in the finest Swiss hospitality traditions, now carries the torch of the KGH Group. Maya, a graduate in Marketing and Psychology from Bentley University in Boston, brings insight, creativity, and fresh perspective to the family legacy.

He doesn’t micromanage. He trusts. He believes.

(Photo: Pilot Shakya coordinating flight arrangements with the film crew from Hong Kong, who came to Jomsom to shoot the movie ‘Legend of Wisely.’)

The Citizen Within the Pilot

Beyond business and beyond bloodline, Sunil is a citizen of conscience — and a seeker of meaning.

As Chairman of Miyamoto Relief, he has worked tirelessly to preserve Nepal’s endangered architectural heritage. His initiatives have helped restore Hanuman Dhoka’s Gaddi Baithak, Anandakuti School in Swayambhu, and other priceless relics shaken by both disaster and neglect.

His deep spiritual connection with Buddhism fuels a dream — to create Buddha Maya Gardens in Lumbini. Not just a destination, but a pilgrimage of inner awakening.

A Voice That Speaks Hard Truths

Sunil’s reflections on Nepal’s tourism industry are clear-eyed and uncompromising:

“We’ve pushed away those we should’ve welcomed. We’re selling $200 rooms for $40. We’ve entered a race to the bottom — and no one’s winning.”

He advocates for:

Simplified, long-term visas, akin to Malaysia and Sri Lanka

Affordable international air links to Pokhara and Bhairahawa

Policy rooted in vision, not political appeasement

Investment in infrastructure, connectivity, and regional balance

Kathmandu, he insists, is a natural sanctuary.

 “When Delhi burns at 40°C, Kathmandu breathes easy at 15°C. Even our skies are air-conditioned.”

And yet those very skies remain restricted by aviation blacklists.

 “How can tourists come,” he asks, “when the sky itself is closed?”

Still Dreaming at 63

While others his age slow down, Sunil is still scaling new altitudes — with grounded feet and a far-reaching vision.

Projects in Dhangadhi and Janakpur — regions he once touched from the sky — are now on his roadmap for development. He no longer lands planes, but he builds landing places — spaces for people to arrive, to breathe, and to begin again.

Each hotel.
Each stone restored.
Each moment of warmth offered to a guest — is a landing strip of meaning.

He once flew with engines.
Now, he lifts others — with care, wisdom, and generosity.

The Story Continues

Sunil Shakya’s journey is not merely a story of altitude — it is a study in attitude.
A testimony to love, loss, legacy, and lasting service.
A man who followed his own compass.
Who soared through cloud and crisis.
Who returned home — not defeated, but full.

A pilot,
A hotelier,
A father,
A visionary,
A citizen,
A dreamer.

Still flying —
in all the ways that truly matter.

(Photo: In memory of Shakya’s wife Babita, who passed away during the 2015 earthquake, captured at a family gathering.)

Having coffee with Dr. Sanjiv Tuladhar and Captain Gyan Rai in Jomsom.

(Photo: Sunil Shakya presiding over the 9th General Assembly of the Nepal-America Chamber of Commerce 20 years ago.)

(Photo: Pilot Shakya welcoming Belgium’s Crown Prince and Crown Prince Dipendra Shah at Club Himalaya.)

Graduation ceremony of EDIT programme in University of Hawaii.

Multi-engine n IFR rating training in Moncton Flying School in Moncton NB Canada.