POKHARA, March 30: More than two years since its inauguration, the Pokhara Regional International Airport (PRIA) is finally set to operate regular international flights.
Himalaya Airlines is preparing to operate a scheduled flight from Pokhara to Lhasa, China on a weekly basis starting Tuesday, April 1.
The Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN) stated that PRIA will operate regular international flights 27 months after the airport's operation.
So far, 13 international chartered flights have been conducted since the airport began operation. However, Himalaya Airlines will be the first to operate a scheduled flight on the Pokhara-Lhasa route, says Yasodha Subedi, spokesperson for PRIA.
According to Subedi, the Airbus-319 series plane of Himalaya Airlines from Lhasa will land at Pokhara airport at 12:45 pm on Monday. The same plane, after staying overnight in Pokhara, will depart for Lhasa at 8:20 am on Tuesday (April 1).
"Recently, Sichuan Airlines has been operating commercial chartered flights on the Chengdu-Pokhara route. Sichuan's plane is also scheduled to arrive in Pokhara on April 1," she said, adding that Himalaya Airlines will now conduct regular flights.
PRIA finally earning from int’l flights after eight months of o...
PRIA has conducted 13 international charter flights- 7 in 2023, 4 in 2024, and 2 so far in 2025. Most of these flights were to Chinese destinations.
Himalaya Airlines confirmed it is ready to operate a flight from Pokhara to Lhasa starting Tuesday. For now, the company will operate flights along this route once a week.
"We are currently operating only one flight per week. Based on demand, we plan to increase flights in the future," said an official of Himalaya Airlines.
Likewise, Himalaya Airlines previously stated in a press release that its main objective is to operate flights to 10 different tourist destinations in China and welcome 1 million Chinese tourists to Nepal.
The airline said this flight connecting Pokhara and Lhasa would strengthen Nepal-China relations and promote tourism and trade.
The plane departing from Kathmandu will land at Gonggar Airport in Lhasa and fly to Pokhara on the same day. After an overnight stay in Pokhara, the plane will fly to Lhasa the next day and return to Kathmandu on the same day.
Himalaya Airlines said this flight between Pokhara, the tourist capital, and the world-famous 'Roof of the World' Lhasa would be important for tourism promotion.
"Even though it's only once a week, the start of an international flight from Pokhara is a significant aspect," said the official, "This will make a significant contribution to Nepal's tourism sector."
Himalaya Airlines will be the first to operate regular international flights from Pokhara International Airport.
Former President of Pokhara Tourism Council (PTC), Pom Narayan Shrestha, said the door for regular scheduled flights has now opened, as the airport was previously limited to chartered flights.
“This is a positive development for the entire tourism sector."
With the initiation of scheduled flights by Himalaya Airlines, the possibility of other international airlines operating flights to Pokhara has also increased.
"Now, other airlines can also add flights to Pokhara," he said, "Being a tourist city, Pokhara needs to focus on marketing."
According to Shrestha, Sichuan Airlines has recently been conducting weekly commercial chartered flights from Chengdu to Pokhara. Its plane is also scheduled to arrive in Pokhara from Chengdu on Tuesday.
"Pokhara has put in a lot of effort this time to attract Chinese tourists," Shrestha said, "The tourism sector will certainly benefit from regular marketing and promotional campaigns."
According to the Nepal Tourism Board, only 8,283 Chinese tourists entered Nepal in February this year. Around 61,000 Chinese tourists visited Nepal in 2023, while 101,879 Chinese tourists visited Nepal in 2024.