FlyDubai will inaugurate its direct Pokhara-Dubai connection from 23 September, lifting hopes of a tourism revival in the city that has suffered from a slump after last year’s unrest and last month’s flood disaster.
The daily flights will be operated with Airbus 319 and 320 aircraft with the arrival at 6:15pm and departure at 7:30pm. Pokhara airport was inaugurated nearly four years ago, but has seen only sporadic international flights. Himalaya airlines that operated a direct flight to Lhasa has suspended the route. Sichuan Airlines has also stopped its charter flights to Kunming.
The airport is expected to also cater to Nepali diaspora traffic so passengers from central Nepal do not have to fly in and out of Kathmandu anymore.