Kathmandu, September 17: After a long wait, regular international flights from Pokhara Regional International Airport to Dubai are set to begin. Flydubai is scheduled to operate Dubai–Pokhara–Dubai flights from Ashoj 7 (September 23).
According to Jagannath Niraula, General Manager of Pokhara Airport, the new service is expected to help expand Pokhara’s international air connectivity, as Dubai is one of the world’s major aviation transit hubs.
He said, “Flydubai is starting flights from Ashoj 7, with one flight a day, at an airport that currently has no regular commercial international service. The airline operates flights to more than 300 destinations worldwide, including Europe, the United States, Canada and Australia. Its regular service to Pokhara is expected to open up new opportunities for the promotion of tourism and trade in the city.”
Niraula said a Flydubai Airbus A320 will land at Pokhara Airport at 6:15 p.m. from Ashoj 7 and depart for Dubai at 7:15 p.m. the same evening, carrying both passengers and cargo. He added that the government has provided a 50 percent discount on ground-handling services and a 100 percent waiver of landing, parking and navigation charges for the operation of Pokhara Airport until Bhadau 2085. As a result, airfares are expected to be cheaper than those from Kathmandu.
He stressed that the government, private sector and tourism entrepreneurs should work together to turn potential challenges into opportunities and ensure the sustainability of the Dubai–Pokhara–Dubai service.
Former President of the Restaurant and Bar Association of Pokhara (REBAN), Naresh Bhattarai, said the Flydubai service would boost tourist arrivals in Pokhara and bring renewed enthusiasm to hotels and restaurants, travel and trekking businesses, mountain tourism and adventure tourism.
He said the Dubai–Pokhara service would not only facilitate travel for Nepalis working abroad and their families, businesspeople, investors and tourists, but also create opportunities to increase tourists’ length of stay and spending in Pokhara. If international flights can be operated regularly and sustainably, he said, Pokhara could develop not only as a tourism destination but also as a centre for trade, investment, meetings and conferences.
Hari Bhujel, President of the Pokhara Tourism Council, said that simply operating international flights would not be sufficient. For the service to have a long-term impact, reliable flights, competitive airfares, effective international marketing, necessary airport facilities, tourism infrastructure and quality tourism services would all need to be developed simultaneously.
The airport, which came into operation on January 1, 2023, has so far handled 11 regular or chartered flights by Sichuan Airlines, 21 by Himalaya Airlines and 10 by other airlines. According to the airport office, around 3,000 passengers have used these services.
In March 2025, Himalaya Airlines launched the first regular commercial Pokhara–Lhasa service. However, the service was suspended from March this year due to low passenger numbers.
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