POKHARA: Adrian Lukasz, the Vice President of Aviation Security for Flydubai, a major global airline provider, held a meeting with Dhanraj Acharya, the Mayor of Pokhara Metropolitan City, on Tuesday.

The bilateral discussions focused on operating international flights from Pokhara International Airport, exploring tourism promotion opportunities between Dubai and Pokhara, and ensuring compliance with aviation safety standards.

During the meeting, Lukasz, who brings over 20 years of experience in the aviation sector, expressed Flydubai’s keen interest in launching flight operations to the city.

With expertise in aviation safety, risk management, and airline operations, Lukasz noted that connecting Flydubai with Pokhara would be highly beneficial for the overall tourism of Pokhara and the surrounding region.

He also shared that he was deeply impressed by Pokhara’s natural beauty during his visit.

In response, Mayor Acharya highlighted the local government’s continuous efforts to initiate regular international operations from the airport.

Emphasizing the vital role direct flights play in boosting bilateral tourism, he requested the airline executive to take special initiatives on behalf of Flydubai.

Mayor Acharya maintained that the airport is fully capable of handling international traffic, pointing out that he has engaged in multiple discussions with the Government of Nepal and that the airport has already successfully hosted international charter flights during special occasions.

“Various charter flights over time have proven that international operations from Pokhara are entirely viable. As the tourism capital city, Pokhara needs international flights to promote itself in the global market, and we have been prioritizing this. Today’s meeting has boosted our confidence that Pokhara International Airport will soon operate at its full capacity,” the Mayor stated.

The meeting was attended by Mayor Acharya alongside Muktiram Aryal, the Chief Administrative Officer of the metropolitan city, and Gopi Bahadur Bhattarai, the Coordinator of Pokhara Tourism Year, among other officials.

Despite being constructed with an investment of over Rs 22 billion with assistance from neighboring China and inaugurated on January 1, 2023, Pokhara International Airport has yet to see the commencement of regular international flights.

To date, the newly built international facility remains limited strictly to handling domestic flights.