POKHARA, Nov 7: After nearly a year, a Chinese aircraft has once again landed at the Pokhara Regional International Airport (PRIA). A chartered Sichuan Airlines flight from Kunming, China, arrived in Pokhara on Thursday, bringing guests and participants of the 3rd International Mountain Cross-country Race in Pokhara.
The aircraft landed at the airport at 2:40 pm, marking the return of international air traffic to the airport, which has seen limited international flights since November 2023. The last international flight to Pokhara was operated by Himalaya Airlines, which brought 95 passengers from China on November 23, 2023.
According to Jasoda Subedi, the spokesperson for PRIA, this marks the first international flight to arrive in the region in nearly a year. The arrival of Sichuan Airlines is expected to boost tourism and participation in the upcoming cross-country race, while also helping to revive international air connections to the region.
According to Subedi, the plane that took off from Kunming, China, left for Kathmandu at 4:10 pm on Thursday, about two hours after landing in Pokhara. The return flight was empty, as there is no plan to bring participants of the ongoing competition back from Pokhara immediately.
Pokhara International Airport: First flight on Pokhara-Varanasi...
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The chartered flight marks the eighth international flight to the airport since it officially began its operations on January 1, 2023. In 2023, a total of seven international flights were recorded. On the opening day, Himalaya Airlines conducted a demo flight, followed by Sichuan Airlines, which made its first flight to Pokhara on January 21, 2023.
That was the first Sichuan Airlines flight to land in Pokhara with passengers, bringing 84 Chinese tourists for the Dragon Boat Race Festival at Phewa Lake. Later, on September 9, a Drukair flight from Bhutan's Paro International Airport made its historic landing at the PRIA. Drukair carried three passengers to Pokhara and returned with 42 foreign passengers. According to the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN), this was the first commercial flight to operate from the PRIA.
On November 8, two Chinese cargo flights landed at Pokhara carrying relief materials from the Chinese government for the earthquake victims of Jajarkot and Rukum. In addition, Himalaya Airlines made three other flights to Pokhara. In total, there were seven international flights to Pokhara in 2023, with 215 passengers arriving and 81 departing. Aside from these, there were no other international flights from the airport.
“A chartered international flight has arrived at Pokhara Regional International Airport after almost a year," Spokesperson Subedi said, “Domestic flights, however, are operating regularly.” She said that there is no immediate schedule for additional international flights.
According to Pratik Pahari, media coordinator for the 3rd International Mountain Cross-country Race, the competition will feature races in four categories: Team Group Race, Challenging Individual Race, Student Race, and Happy Run Race. The Team Group Race will cover a distance of 50 km, with professional runners also participating. The Challenging Individual Race will also be 50 km, while the Student Race will span 5 km. Additionally, the Happy Run race will cover a distance of 2 km.
According to Pahari, both foreign and domestic runners will participate in the race, including seasoned marathon runners. Pahari said that runners from China have arrived in Pokhara for the event. He said that the competition will not only showcase athletic talent but also strengthen the bonds between the tourism sector and participating cities.
Pahari added that the event will play a key role in strengthening the relationship between Pokhara and Kunming, China. He expressed hope that the visit of high-ranking officials from Kunming will further boost Chinese arrivals in Pokhara. The event has received support from the Chinese Embassy in Nepal, the Nepal Tourism Board, and local stakeholders.
