POKHARA: Three and a half years after coming into operation, Pokhara International Airport is entering another crucial test for regular international flights. Flydubai has announced that it will launch daily Pokhara-Dubai flights starting September 23.

Pokhara International Airport came into operation on January 1, 2023. Since then, most international flights have been limited to chartered services.

Himalayan Airlines had operated a weekly scheduled Pokhara-Lhasa flight starting March 2025. However, citing a low passenger volume, the service was shut down on March 23, 2026. Therefore, while Flydubai is not the first airline to operate regular international flights from Pokhara, it will be the first major foreign airline to operate a daily service.

Due to this past experience, stakeholders are currently less concerned about whether the flights will begin, and more focused on how long they will last. Pom Narayan Shrestha, former president of the Pokhara Tourism Council, views Flydubai’s flights as an opportunity to expand tourism in Gandaki Province. According to him, there is a strong possibility of bringing in high-spending tourists from Dubai and its neighboring markets. “High-spending tourists can be brought to Pokhara from Dubai. We see immense potential in this,” Shrestha says.

According to him, the initial bookings for Dubai-to-Pokhara flights have excited tourism entrepreneurs. However, although inquiries have been made for the Pokhara-to-Dubai route, bookings have not increased as expected.

“There are many inquiries for flights departing from Pokhara, but actual bookings are low,” he says. “We remain optimistic that bookings will pick up and we will secure enough passengers by the time the flights commence.”

Excitement for arrivals, sluggishness for departures

Flydubai’s General Manager for Nepal, Nawaraj Shahi, also mentions that bookings for flights coming from Dubai to Pokhara are looking good. “Bookings for incoming flights are strong. September marks the beginning of the tourist season as well as the festival period,” he says. “Passengers departing from Nepal usually book tickets at the last minute, which is why outgoing bookings appear sluggish right now. However, they are gradually increasing.”

According to him, seeing visible bookings with more than two months left before flights commence is a positive indicator.

However, Ramesh Lamichhane, the Nepal General Manager for Emirates—an airline that shares a joint flight partnership with Flydubai—expressed concern over the weak bookings for departures from Pokhara compared to incoming passengers from Dubai. “We are ready, but the main question is how ready Pokhara is to operate these flights,” he says. “Bookings for flights coming from Dubai are gradually rising. Meanwhile, departures from Pokhara are currently very low.”

He states that although the tourism capital Pokhara can sustain a single daily international flight, it will require a joint effort from the airline, tourism entrepreneurs, and government bodies during the initial months.

“Pokhara is a market with potential. It is unlikely that the tourism capital cannot even sustain a single flight,” Lamichhane says. “However, a special effort is required during the initial months.”

Promotion alone is insufficient

According to tourism entrepreneurs, the market for these flights is not limited strictly to the Pokhara metropolitan area. Passengers can also be drawn to Pokhara from the 11 districts of Gandaki, other provinces in Western Nepal, and even the bordering areas of India.

Shrestha emphasizes that achieving this requires coordination among local bodies, the provincial government, tourism entrepreneurs, hotels, travel agencies, and the airline. To this end, representatives from Flydubai and Emirates have initiated discussions with Pokhara’s tourism entrepreneurs and other stakeholders. Airline representatives have been emphasizing that local bodies and the provincial government must publicize the new flights and encourage potential passengers to use Pokhara Airport.

Yashoda Rimal, the Minister for Industry and Tourism of Gandaki Province, claims that the provincial government is taking sufficient interest in the matter. “There is immense potential for operating daily international flights from Pokhara,” she says. “The provincial government is working on publicity, incentives, and providing the necessary support.”

However, she notes that simply starting the flights cannot be considered a total success. “Starting the flights is a major milestone, but maintaining continuity is the main challenge,” says Minister Rimal. “It is essential to disseminate information about the service to the general public and encourage passengers to fly directly out of Pokhara.”

Tourism entrepreneurs also argue that promotion alone will not be enough to sustain daily flights. They state that systems enabling passengers to buy tickets easily, competitive packages, convenient access to the airport from Gandaki and Western Nepal, and effective information for passengers transit-flying to other countries via Dubai are all necessary.

‘Let’s not have doubts’

In Pokhara, which has long been deprived of regular international service, skepticism regarding the continuity of the flights remains even after the new announcement. However, Shahi of Flydubai asserts that there is no reason to doubt whether the flights will operate.

“Let’s not stay in a dilemma about whether the flights will happen or not,” he says. “A major airline announces flights to a new destination only after conducting extensive studies and market analysis.”

According to him, passenger numbers for arrivals or departures might be low on certain days. However, to make the flights sustainable in the long run, the airline, travel entrepreneurs, and all three levels of government must work together.

“This is not an issue that concerns Gandaki Province alone; it is linked to the country’s tourism and economy,” Shahi says. “Alongside the airline, travel entrepreneurs, local governments, and the provincial government must also promote it.”