Kathmandu, September 14
Flydubai has announced its schedule for direct Dubai–Pokhara–Dubai flights, with the first flight landing at Pokhara International Airport at 6:15 pm on September 23.
Pokhara Airport plans a water-cannon salute to welcome the arriving Flydubai aircraft and passengers. After disembarking arriving passengers, the plane will depart Pokhara for Dubai at 7:15 pm with a new set of passengers. Airport information officer Binod Singh Rawat said Flydubai will operate the route with an Airbus A319 or A320 depending on need — the A319 carries 140-150 passengers, the A320 160-180 — with the daily flight landing at Pokhara at 6:15 pm and departing for Dubai at 7:15 pm. He said the return leg will carry cargo along with passengers.
The Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal granted Flydubai permission for the route in June. Officials say the direct link to Dubai, a major global aviation hub, will connect Pokhara to the international air network, something the airport hadn’t achieved in regular international service in the three years since it opened commercially. Flydubai’s Nepal-based general manager Nabaraj Shahi said tickets from Pokhara are up to Rs 5,000 cheaper than the equivalent Kathmandu departures, and that promotional discounts will be offered to passengers and partner agencies.
The service will run under a codeshare partnership between Flydubai and Emirates, allowing passengers from Pokhara to connect onward to Australia, Europe, or the US on a single ticket via Emirates’ hub at Dubai’s Terminal 3, which links to more than 140 countries.
Pokhara Tourism Council chair Hari Bhujel said the tourism sector stands to benefit directly and called for unity among local tourism operators to help make the route succeed. Nepal Tourism Board executive member Santosh Pokharel said sustaining the route is now a shared responsibility across stakeholders, noting Flydubai has taken a chance on Pokhara and everyone needs to support it in turn.
Pokhara Metropolitan City and Flydubai have also agreed to continue cooperating on tourism promotion, destination marketing, and expanding international air connectivity. The new route is expected to boost tourism, trade, and economic activity across Gandaki province, giving residents direct access to more than 250 global destinations including London, New York, and Tokyo, while making it easier for foreign tourists to fly directly into Pokhara.
Himalaya Airlines’ Pokhara–Lhasa service, launched in March 2025, has since been suspended due to low passenger numbers. The Pokhara–Dubai route will be the airport’s second scheduled commercial international service, following earlier charter flights to destinations in China, India, and Bhutan. Pokhara International Airport serves as Nepal’s third international gateway, amid ongoing calls to decentralise air traffic away from Kathmandu.
