New airport in Nepal's 'tourism capital' sees first passenger flight from China

The new international airport in Pokhara, Nepal, has a scheduled passenger flight — with at least one weekly trip.

On Monday, Nepal-Xizang joint venture Himalaya Airlines flight took off from Lhasa Gonggar International Airport and landed at Pokhara International Airport at 1:56 pm local time.

There were 107 passengers, including 32 Chinese and 75 Nepalis. The flying time is around 90 minutes.

It was the first scheduled passenger flight landing at Pokhara since the airport's inauguration in 2023.

Prem Nath Thakur, the general manager of Pokhara Airport, expressed optimism about future flights, stating that this is just the beginning.

According to him, to promote the new facility and attract airlines, the airport has offered waivers for landing, parking, and ground handling fees for two years. Additionally, it has waived the passenger service charge of 3,000 Nepalese rupee ($22) per tourist on departing flight.

Vijay Shrestha, spokesperson for Himalaya Airlines, said they have started with a weekly flight and will increase frequency based on demand.

Shrestha suggested that the government should promote Pokhara airport from a tourism perspective by categorizing the airport as strategically important, as many other countries do.

He also recommended promoting Bhairahawa Airport, another international airport in the southern Terai plains, as a budget airport to attract airlines. Bhairahawa Airport is another airport constructed in Nepal with the help of a Chinese contractor.

According to Shrestha, Himalaya Airlines aims to operate flights to 10 different tourist destinations in China from both Pokhara and Kathmandu, with a mission to bring a million Chinese tourists a year to Nepal.

Tourism entrepreneurs in Pokhara have initiated efforts to promote and market the new airport. Recently, the Pokhara Tourism Council, an umbrella organization of tourism entrepreneurs, collaborated with China's Sichuan Airlines to launch charter flights between Chengdu, China, and Pokhara, Nepal.

Baburam Pandey, acting president of the Pokhara Tourism Council, said that Chengdu-based Sichuan Airlines has committed to operating flights for 10 weeks, aiming to bring 1,250 Chinese tourists to Pokhara, with one flight arriving each week.

Pokhara's dream

Pokhara International Airport, funded by Beijing, was inaugurated on January 1, 2023. The expectation was that Pokhara, as Nepal's tourism capital, would no longer depend on Kathmandu for tourist inflow and would directly attract visitors.

Pokhara, which serves as the gateway to the world-famous Annapurna Circuit trekking route, has seen significant investments in the hospitality industry after the construction of the new airport.

Shrestha of Himalaya Airlines stated that the launch of the Lhasa flight aligns with efforts to make Pokhara Visit Year 2025 a success, intending to welcome two million tourists, including Nepalis.

China has announced a "Visit Nepal 2025" campaign to support Nepal's tourism industry.

"Today, the Pokhara people's dream of direct scheduled international flights has come true! The first ever direct scheduled international flight from Lhasa landed at Pokhara International Airport by Himalaya Airlines," Chinese ambassador to Nepal Chen Song wrote on X.

"A milestone not only for Nepali and Pokhara people but also for the connectivity and friendship between China and Nepal, celebrating the 70 years of diplomatic ties between our two countries."

The Kathmandu Post, NEPAL