Airlines companies begin preparation to conduct int’l flight from Pokhara int’l airport

POKHARA, Dec 10: Buddha Air is going to make its first international flight from Pokhara Regional International Airport (PRIA), which will be operational from January 1, 2023. For this, the company has submitted an application for permission to the regulatory body, Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN).

"We have started preparations for the first international flight from PRIA. If everything goes as planned, the first international flight from PRIA will be made by Buddha Air," said Information Officer at Buddha Air Dipendra Karn. From PRIA, Buddha Air has planned to fly to three sectors connecting India cities, namely Pokhara-Banaras-Pokhara, Pokhara-Delhi-Pokhara and Pokhara-Dehradun-Pokhara.

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International flights at Pokhara airport will be made through 'single approach'. According to Karn, international flights and landings will only be made from the eastern side of the airport, while domestic flights and landings can be made from both sides of the runway.

Interests of international airlines

International airlines have started showing interest to conduct flights from PRIA. CAAN spokesperson Jagannath Niraula said that Indian and Chinese airlines have shown interest in flying from the airport. Nepali airlines Buddha Air and Himalaya Airlines are already preparing to operate international flights from the airport. On the international side, Qatar's Jazeera Airways has also expressed its interest to operate flights from PRIA.

A total of 11 small and big aircrafts can be parked at the airport. CAAN is preparing for 48 daily domestic and six international flights from the airport. The airport has the capacity to serve eight million passengers annually.