Pokhara, September 27
Flydubai’s regular Dubai-Pokhara-Dubai service continued to see encouraging passenger numbers on its fourth day of operation on Saturday.
The Flydubai aircraft landed at Pokhara International Airport at 6:05 pm on Saturday with 156 passengers on board. It then departed for Dubai carrying 83 passengers from Pokhara, according to airport information officer Binod Singh Rawat.
The airline began its regular service on Wednesday.
On Thursday, 122 passengers arrived in Pokhara from Dubai, while 143 passengers flew from Pokhara to Dubai.
The flight scheduled for Friday was cancelled due to bad weather.
On the first flight on Wednesday, 113 passengers arrived in Pokhara from Dubai, while the return flight carried 152 passengers from Pokhara to Dubai.
Tourism sector encouraged by initial response
Tourism entrepreneurs and other stakeholders in Pokhara, who have been working to make the new international service effective and sustainable, say the initial passenger numbers are encouraging.
Former president of the Pokhara Tourism Council, Pomanarayan Shrestha, said the initial response to the Pokhara-Dubai service was positive.
“Bookings are good, and tour and travel businesses are also happy,” Shrestha said. “Hotels and restaurants have introduced discount schemes targeting passengers arriving through this flight.”
According to airport information officer Rawat, Flydubai’s aircraft is scheduled to land in Pokhara every day at 6:15 pm and depart for Dubai at 7:15 pm.
Flydubai has started the service using a Boeing 737 MAX 8 aircraft with a capacity of 165 passengers.
It is the first airline to operate regular commercial international flights from Pokhara International Airport. Some airlines had previously operated international charter flights from the airport.
Dubai connection opens access to international destinations
With the start of the service, passengers from several countries can travel to Pokhara more conveniently by using Dubai as a transit point.
Tourism and business stakeholders expect the new international connection to support tourism, business activity, employment and the broader local economy in Pokhara.
Pokhara International Airport came into operation in January 2023, but had not previously been able to establish regular international flights.
The government had recently announced plans to make diplomatic efforts to attract international airlines to Pokhara International Airport as part of its policies and programmes for the current fiscal year.
The Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal granted Flydubai permission to operate the Dubai-Pokhara-Dubai service on June 8.
Government offers incentives to attract international airlines
The government has provided various fee incentives to encourage international airlines to operate from Pokhara International Airport.
Until September 2028, the airport has waived parking, landing and navigation charges for international flights.
The government has also decided to provide a 50 percent discount on ground-handling charges for international airlines operating from the airport.
