KATHMANDU, Sept. 14: Flydubai, a UAE government-owned airline based in Dubai, will begin operating flights between Dubai and Pokhara from September 23.
According to the flight schedule released by Flydubai, the aircraft will land at Pokhara International Airport (PIA) at 6:15 PM on the scheduled date. After the disembarking of passengers, the aircraft will take on new passengers and depart for Dubai at 7:15 PM.
Binod Singh Rawat, information officer at Tribhuvan International Airport, said Flydubai will operate either Airbus A319 or A320 aircraft on the Pokhara-Dubai route.
Rawat said the Airbus A319 has a seating capacity of around 140 to 150 passengers, while the Airbus A320 can accommodate 160 to 180 passengers. According to him, Flydubai will alternate between the two aircraft models on the Pokhara route depending on passenger demand.
Flydubai conducting technical study for Pokhara–Dubai flight
"There will be a significant number of passengers arriving in Pokhara on the inaugural flight, as the return flight to Dubai will carry both passengers and cargo," Rawat said.
In the last week of May, the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal granted Flydubai permission to operate flights on the Dubai-Pokhara-Dubai route. According to Flydubai, fares for flights from Pokhara will be up to Rs 5,000 cheaper than those from Kathmandu.
Flydubai operates direct flights to more than 120 destinations worldwide. The airline's services from Pokhara are expected to benefit passengers and partner organizations by providing easier access to various international destinations.
The Pokhara-Dubai service will operate under a strategic codeshare partnership between Flydubai and Emirates. Passengers traveling from Pokhara to cities in Australia, Europe and North America will be able to book a single ticket and travel to their final destinations through the partnership.
The government had announced in its policies and programs for fiscal year 2026/27 that diplomatic initiatives would be pursued to attract international airlines to Pokhara International Airport. Flydubai received permission to operate flights shortly afterward.
In May, the airline conducted a detailed feasibility study on operating direct flights to Pokhara, one of Nepal's major tourism destinations.
PIA was built with a loan of around Rs 22 billion. Since its inauguration on January 1, 2023, the airport's regular international flight services have remained limited, with operations largely confined to domestic flights.
