Airline companies making business plan for Pokhara Regional Int’l Airport

POKHARA, Dec 23: Pokhara Regional International Airport will officially come into operation on January 1, the first day of the English New Year 2023. As preparation for the operation of the airport, private sector airline companies Buddha Air and Yeti Airlines landed their ATR-72 aircraft at Pokhara Regional International Airport for the first time on Thursday. The aircraft also conducted test flights. The residents expressed their happiness saying that this has fulfilled a four-decade-long dream of operating an international-level airport in Pokhara . The airline companies say that they are preparing for commercial flights after the demo flights on Thursday.

Bikram Gautam, head of Pokhara Regional International Airport, said that Pokhara's dream of an international airport has finally come true. He said that the success of the test flights was a matter of happiness for the residents of Pokhara. Gautam said that the demo flights were successful and now they are preparing for commercial flights. According to Gautam, various international airlines have shown interest in flying to and from Pokhara. Although international airlines are interested in flying to Pokhara, it is not yet certain when these airlines will start flying from this airport.

Rupesh Joshi, marketing director of Buddha Air, said that efforts are being made for commercial flights from Pokhara to Beneras, India from March 1. Before that, preparations are being made to operate a demo flight from Pokhara to Beneras on January 1, the first day from the new airport on the New Year, Joshi said.

“We are planning to conduct a demo flight connecting Pokhara to Beneras in India on January 1. However, we will wait until March 1 for commercial flights because we need some more time for marketing," he said. "We have started the process for the demo flight to Beneras. We are waiting for the approval from the authorities concerned. Apart from that, flights from this airport in Pokhara will continue from 7AM to 9PM,” he said.

Director Joshi said that the company will use Pokhara Regional International Airport as the base for five of their aircraft. He said that the aircraft will be parked at the airport during night and will fly to various destinations every day in the morning. He informed that Buddha Air currently has 15 daily flights from Pokhara on various routes and now that number will increase.

“At present, Buddha Air has been operating a maximum of 12 flights per day on the Pokhara-Kathmandu route. Apart from that, Buddha Air operates regular flights from Pokhara to Bharatpur, Bhairahawa, Nepalgunj and Dhangadhi. Operating flights from the new airport will be easier than now. The number of passengers will definitely increase," said Joshi.

Another airline, Yeti Airlines, also flew a demonstration flight on Thursday. Spokesperson Sudarshan Bartaila said that Yeti Airlines is preparing for commercial flights from Pokhara Regional International Airport. He said that for that the airline company has already prepared the manpower required to fly from the new airport, provided them training, and have already readied the necessary equipment.

Yeti said that it is currently operating seven flights a day on the Pokhara-Kathmandu route and plans to expand the flights to other cities in the coming days. "We will start flying to new destinations in the near future," Bartaila said.

Tourism entrepreneurs say that the operation of this airport will convey a positive message for the tourism sector. Pom Narayan Shrestha, chairman of Pokhara Tourism Council (PTC), said that this airport in Pokhara will boost the tourism sector. "In the current situation, guests have not been able to come here even if they wanted to. Now, because of the airport, Pokhara will take a big leap in the tourism sector," he said.