Gandaki. The flight from Dubai to Pokhara is scheduled to land at Pokhara International Airport on September 23 at 6:15 pm. On the occasion, Flydubai aircraft and passengers will be welcomed with water fountains at Pokhara Airport, Nepal’s tourist city.

After the arrival of passengers, the plane will take passengers from Pokhara to Dubai at 7:15 pm. Binod Singh Rawat, information officer of the airport, said that Airbus 319-320 of Fly Dubai will fly from Pokhara-Dubai.

According to him, Airbus 319 has a capacity of 140 to 150 passengers and Airbus 320 has a capacity of 160 to 180 passengers. “Fly Dubai flies Airbus 319 and 320 to Pokhara alternately as per the requirement,” Information Officer Rawat said, “The number of passengers coming to Pokhara in the first flight is significant. ”

He said that Fly Dubai is scheduled to land in Pokhara at 6:15 pm every day and departure from Pokhara to Dubai at 7:15 pm. Information Officer Rawat said that on the first day, the plane will land a little earlier than the scheduled time. The airport has started the necessary preparations since the schedule for the regular flight from Dubai-Pokhara-Dubai was announced.

On June 25, the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN) had granted permission to Fly Dubai for the Dubai-Pokhara-Dubai flight. The government had said that it would take diplomatic initiatives to attract international airlines to Pokhara International Airport in the policy and program of the current fiscal year.

The direct flight to Dubai, the global air transit hub, will connect Pokhara to the international air network. Even after three years of its operation, regular inter-country flights have not been able to take place from Pokhara International Airport. Nawaraj Shahi, General Manager of Flydubai in Nepal, said that the ticket price is up to five thousand cheaper for flights from Pokhara than Kathmandu.

Stating that Flydubai has been operating direct flights to more than 120 destinations around the world, he said that passengers and partner organizations will be given discounts and other facilities during the promotion of Pokhara-Dubai flights. With the success of the Pokhara-Dubai flight, it is believed that other international airlines will be attracted to Pokhara.

The Pokhara-Dubai flight service will be operated under the strategic codeshare partnership between Fly Dubai and Emirates Airlines. Passengers from Pokhara to Australia, Europe or American cities will be able to travel with a single ticket and there will be no hassle while reaching the destination.

Emirates Airlines has made Terminal 3 of Dubai International Airport its main hub and connects more than 143 countries in 76 countries of the world. The codeshare partnership between the airlines will facilitate the transit of passengers. Passengers going from Pokhara to Dubai to other countries will be able to travel with a single ticket.

After a long wait, the tourism entrepreneurs of the region are also excited as regular inter-country flights are going to be operated from Pokhara. Government agencies and the private sector have been taking initiatives in marketing and promotion to make international flights sustainable. Initially, Flydubai announced to fly once a day for a month, but the bookings are open till March 26, 2027.

Chairman of Pokhara Tourism Council, Hari Bhujel, said that this flight will directly benefit the tourism sector of the country. He said that the Pokhara tourism entrepreneurs will work together to make the flight successful.

Executive member of Nepal Tourism Board Santosh Pokharel said that it is the responsibility of all sides concerned to make the Pokhara-Dubai flight successful. “Fly Dubai has come here believing in Pokhara, we all should support from our respective places,” he said.

He said that the challenges that may arise for the sustainability of this flight for the first time should be faced and turned into an opportunity. He said that the flight of Flydubai will help in giving recognition to Pokhara in the international world with a suitable climate.

Pokhara Metropolitan City and Fly Dubai have also signed a memorandum of understanding to continue collaboration in the areas of mutual interest including tourism promotion, marketing of destinations, expansion of international air connectivity, among others.

The flight is expected to further contribute to tourism, trade and economic activities along with the expansion of Pokhara’s international air connectivity. The flight will make it easier for the people of Gandaki Province and its surrounding areas to reach more than 250 destinations in the world like London, New York and Tokyo.

This flight service is also expected to be beneficial for the passengers and general public going to other countries including Arab countries for foreign royalty, study, excursion, etc. Foreign tourists will be able to come directly to Pokhara and other tourist areas from Pokhara-Dubai flight.

In March 2025, Himalaya Airlines started regular flights from Pokhara-Lhasa for the first time, but the flight service has been suspended due to low number of passengers. The Pokhara-Dubai flight is the second commercial flight from Pokhara International Airport. Earlier, charter flights were operated to various destinations in China, India and Bhutan.

Pokhara International Airport is the third international air gateway for Nepal. There has been a demand for regular inter-country flights from Pokhara International Airport for tourism promotion and economic activities along with decentralization of air pressure centered in Kathmandu.