50-year-old dream fulfilled: Tourism entrepreneurs excited by Pokhara-Dubai flight
लगानी न्यूज
{{TAG_OPEN_div_74}Gandaki. The departure and arrival lounge of Pokhara International Airport, which used to be deserted earlier, was bustling with activity since Wednesday afternoon.
{{TAG_OPEN_div_72} After the launch of the Dubai-Pokhara-Dubai regular commercial flight, the passengers arriving in Pokhara from the first flight were welcomed and the passengers going from Pokhara to Dubai were crowded with relatives to bid farewell to the passengers going to Dubai from Pokhara.
Some were sharing the joy of returning home, some were emotional at the moment of separation from family and relatives. Local people’s representatives, government officials, tourism entrepreneurs and others reached the airport to welcome the passengers coming to Pokhara by direct flight from Dubai for the first time.
Some people flocked to the airport premises to see Fly Dubai’s aircraft. Earlier, some airlines had operated international charter flights from Pokhara, but regular flights could not take place. After Fly Dubai started commercial flights from Wednesday with a daily flight schedule, there is excitement among the Pokharelians.
} Pokharel, who had dreamed of building an international airport in Pokhara five decades ago, is happy that his hometown has been connected to the international air network. Krishna Bahadur Khadka of Pokhara Metropolitan City-32, who came on the first flight from Dubai, said that the moment of landing in Pokhara while seeing his village and Rupa Lake from the plane gave him a pleasant experience. “What can be more satisfying than being able to come directly to Pokhara and go home after coming from abroad? ”
Pom Narayan Shrestha, former president of Pokhara Tourism Council, recalled the struggle of Pokhara for the construction of an international airport in Pokhara. “Our dream of fifty years has been fulfilled, we struggled a lot to build the airport, we went on a hunger strike,” he said, adding, “Finally, regular flights from Pokhara to Dubai have started, it is a proud moment for us and the responsibility of making it sustainable and effective has also come on our shoulders.”TAG_OPEN_div_64 ”
Santosh Pokharel, executive member of the Nepal Tourism Board, said that Pokhara is not only connected to Dubai but also to other international cities. “By making Dubai a transit, it is now easy to come to Pokhara from many countries of the world, which has created new opportunities in tourism as well as economic sector,” he said, adding, “We are confident that this flight will be successful, and the Tourism Board is preparing to organize promotional programs in Dubai and other international cities to attract passengers and tourists.”TAG_OPEN_div_62 ”
Dhanraj Acharya, Mayor of Pokhara Metropolitan City, said that the direct flight from Pokhara to Dubai is a matter of happiness and pride for Pokhara. “This is an important opportunity for tourism, business, employment and overall economic activities of Pokhara,” he said, adding, “This flight is not only a plane flight, but also the beginning of a new journey towards Pokhara’s international sky.”TAG_OPEN_div_60 ”
FlyDubai’s Boeing 737 Max 8 aircraft landed in Pokhara at 6:19 pm on Wednesday after a flight time of four and TAG_OPEN_div_58 a half hours from Dubai International Airport. The plane carrying 113 passengers was welcomed by a fountain of water. The plane returned to Dubai at 7:55 pm with 152 passengers, said Jagannath Niraula, general manager of the airport.
He said that with this flight, the international air connectivity of the entire Gandaki province including Pokhara would be expanded, tourism promotion and passenger movement would be easier. He said that although some airlines companies had started international flights from Pokhara earlier, it could not be regularized.TAG_OPEN_div_56
He said that the passengers going from Pokhara to Dubai to Europe, America and other destinations will be more comfortable and the cost will also be reduced due to the shortening of the travel time. Pokhara Metropolitan City Mayor Dhanraj Acharya, Director General of Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN) Dr. Mukesh Dangol, airport officials, staff, Pokhara tourism entrepreneurs and others welcomed the passengers who arrived in the first flight. The passengers from Pokhara to Dubai were bid farewell.TAG_OPEN_div_54
Sangita Poudel, president of Nepal Association of Tour and Travel Agents (NATTA) Gandaki, said that the passengers were given special gifts with the help of Nepal Tourism Board. “Entrepreneurs associated with NATTA, hotel and restaurant entrepreneurs also provided promotional materials to the passengers along with gifts,” Poudel said, “On the occasion, passengers coming to Pokhara from Fly Dubai were also informed about the various discount schemes brought targeting the passengers.”TAG_OPEN_div_52 ”
TAG_OPEN_div_50 He said that the direct flight from Pokhara-Dubai will not only benefit the tourism capital Pokhara but the entire tourism sector of the country. The official reception that was supposed to be held in Pokhara on the occasion of the launch of the Dubai-Pokhara-Dubai direct flight was canceled due to the death of Sheikh Ahmed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, a member of the Royal Family of the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
With the commencement of the Pokhara-Dubai flight, foreign tourists will be able to come directly to Pokhara for tourism including Pokhara. This flight service is expected to be beneficial for the passengers and general public going to other countries including Arab countries for foreign employment, study, travel, etc.
Regular international flights could not be operated from the airport which came into operation from January 2023. Flydubai has started flights shortly after the government had announced to take diplomatic initiatives to attract international airlines to Pokhara International Airport in the policy and program of the current fiscal year. On June 9, the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN) had given permission to Flydubai for the Dubai-Pokhara-Dubai flight.
The government has waived various fees at this airport to attract airlines for international flights. Parking, landing and navigation fees at the airport have been completely waived till the end of September 2085. Similarly, the government has decided to give a 50 percent discount on ground handling fees.
Hotels and restaurants in Pokhara have also come up with discount schemes targeting Fly Dubai flights. Laxman Subedi, president of Hotel Association Pokhara, said that for the first three months÷, passengers coming from Fly Dubai will get 25 percent discount on hotels in Pokhara. “So far, 50 hotels have been included in the discount scheme and this number will be added further,” he said.TAG_OPEN_div_42 ”
Passengers coming from Dubai to Pokhara from the first flight were provided free stay for one night and breakfast the next day. The Restaurant and Bar Association of Pokhara (REBAN) has also announced a discount of 15 to 20 percent to the passengers coming from Fly Dubai to Pokhara at the restaurants affiliated to the organization. Fly Dubai is scheduled to land in Pokhara at 6:15 pm every day and leave Pokhara for Dubai at 7:15 pm.
The direct flight to Dubai, the global air transit hub, has connected Pokhara to the international air network. Flydubai has been flying directly to more than 120 destinations around the world. Passengers from Pokhara to Australia, Europe or American cities can travel with a single ticket and there will be no hassle while reaching the destination. The Dubai-Pokhara-Dubai flight service has been launched under the strategic codeshare partnership between Fly Dubai and Emirates Airlines.TAG_OPEN_div_38
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