Kathmandu. Pokhara International Airport is going to operate flights to Australia. China’s Sichuan Airlines is preparing to fly to Australia via Chengdu. Sichuan Airlines has sought permission from civil aviation authority of Nepal for this purpose.

According to Information Officer gyanendra Bhool, Sichuan Airlines has sought permission to fly to Australia via Chengdu. Informal discussions have been held for the flight permit and preparations have been made to grant permission after completing the necessary procedures, he said.

The company plans to operate flights from September. “Sichuan Airlines is planning to operate flights from Pokhara to Australia. An informal discussion has been held regarding the flight from Pokhara to Australia via Chengdu. Bilateral discussions are underway to formally conclude the process. The flight schedule will be submitted by the concerned airlines soon,” said Information Officer Bhool.

It is believed that if this flight is operated, it will be easier for Nepalis coming to Australia. Earlier, Sichuan Airlines had operated charter flights to Pokhara Airport for some time. The company wants to operate regular flights to Australia as a new destination. The airline’s Airbus ‘A’ 319 started operating flights at Pokhara Airport for the first time on June 1, 2080 BS. A chartered flight was operated to bring and carry chinese delegates, players and spectators participating in the ‘Nepal-China Friendship Dragon Boat Race Festival 2023’ held at Phewa Lake on June 8 and 9.

According to Jagannath Niraula, general manager of Pokhara International Airport, only Himalaya Airlines is operating regular flights to Pokhara. The company plans to fly to Australia from September.

Meanwhile, Bhutan Airlines (TASI), a private airline of Bhutan, is also preparing to make a chartered flight to Pokhara Airport. The airline has sought permission to operate two÷3 chartered flights from Pokhara to Paro International Airport, said Bhool, information officer at the AUTHORITY. According to him, Bhutan Airlines has sought permission to operate passenger chartered flights for four days on September 28 and October.

Bhutan Airlines had already said that it would fly. “It has already been decided to provide ‘Fifth Freedom Flight’ from Pokhara and Bhairahawa to airlines of one country to travel to another country via Pokhara if the chartered flights are sustainable. Initially, Bhutan Airlines will operate Kathmandu-Paro-Kathmandu flight. The airline plans to operate Paro-Pokhara-Delhi and Delhi-Pokhara-Paro flights if the flights are regular,” said Information Officer Bhool. Bhutan Airlines will be given permission to fly within a few days.

Currently, Himalaya Airlines operates regular flights to Pokhara International Airport once a week. Himalaya Airlines is operating flights connecting Kathmandu-Lhasa-Pokhara-Lhasa-Kathmandu. Himalaya Airlines started its first commercial flight two years after pokhara international airport came into operation. The AUTHORITY believes that the airport will be operational and easier for the passengers going to the destination if himalayan as well as Sichuan and Bhutan airlines operate flights at the airport.

Pokhara International Airport, a project of national pride, was inaugurated on January 1, 2019. Gautam Buddha International Airport at Bhairahawa in Rupandehi became the second international airport in the country after 71 years of its operation. Six months later, Pokhara International Airport was inaugurated. International flights are being expanded at this airport.

Pokhara Airport, spread over an area of 3,900 ropanis, has been constructed at a cost of around Rs 22 billion. The airport has a runway measuring 2,500 metres long and 45 metres wide with a capacity to handle 800,000 passengers annually.

Currently, Bhutan’s state-owned airlines Druk Air and Bhutan Airlines operate regular flights to Kathmandu. Bhutan Airlines operates flights through Paro-Kathmandu-Delhi and Delhi-Kathmandu-Paro four days a week using ‘Fifth Freedom Flight’. Druk Air is operating paro-Kathmandu-Paro-Delhi-Kathmandu overflight. It is believed that if the service is operated with passenger chartered flight permission for four days on September 28 and October, it will also help in its promotion.

Although there is no problem in granting chartered flight permission, permission will now be given to operate flights through Pokhara and Bhairahawa bases for regular flights. Currently, Nepal has signed air service agreements with 42 countries. Bhairahawa and Pokhara flights will be added while reviewing the air agreement.

Information Officer Bhool said that there was no problem in allowing any airline company to operate chartered flights from Pokhara and Bhairahawa. As many as 30 airlines, including three airlines of Nepal, have been operating international flights through Tribhuvan International Airport.

Jazeera and Thai Air Asia flying to Bhairahawa

Jazeera Airways and Thai Air Asia are going to resume flights at Gautam Buddha Airport in Bhairahawa. Both these airlines had suspended flights to Bhairahawa in the past as well. Thai AirAsia is preparing to fly in the ‘Winter Schedule’ starting october 26. The airline plans to operate two flights a week. Similarly, Jazeera Air is also planning to fly in the winter season. Nepal Airlines Corporation (NAC), which is currently operating regular flights from Bhairahawa, has not been operating flights for a long time.

Airlines operating flights to Bhairahawa from Kathmandu, Malaysia and Malaysia have suspended their flights due to lack of aircraft. Various chartered flights are operating at Gautam Buddha Airport. Information Officer of NEA Bhool expressed confidence that Thai Air Asia and Jazeera Airlines would operate regular flights from the winter season.

Jazeera currently operates flights from Kuwait to Kathmandu. NeA believes that with the commencement of flights from Jazeera airlines from Bhaiharwa and Sichuan Airlines from Pokhara, other foreign airlines will also be attracted to both the airports.

Jazeera has already flown twice from Bhairahawa. The airline, which started flights for the second time in February 2079 BS, had suspended flights for two-and-a-half months due to technical reasons. The airline is going to resume regular flights.

The government has also provided attractive discount facilities to foreign airlines flying to Pokhara and Bhairahawa. At present, all the fees received from international flights from here have been waived. Nepal Airlines Corporation (NAC) does not have to pay any additional charge except for 25 percent of the ground handling service. The government has given discounts and concessions for international flights from these two airports since August 28, 2019.

The government has given the exemption as per the ‘Overall Improvement of Civil Aviation Sector and Action Plan related to operation of Gautam Buddha and Pokhara International Airport’. There is a discount on passenger service fee of Rs 3,000 per passenger on air tickets for international flights of these two airports.

Both the airports have provided complete discount on parking, landing and navigation charges on international flights and 75 percent discount on ground handling fees offered by Nepal Airlines.