Himalaya Airlines has started preparations for international flights from Pokhara and Bhairahawa airports. The company has also plans to begin commercial flights to various cities in China within a month.
Vice President of Himalaya Airlines, Mr. Bijay Shrestha informed that the airline has initiated the necessary procedures to operate international flights from both airports.
“In coordination with the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN), we are moving forward with the plan for commercial flights from both airports. Once the groundwork is completed, we will begin flights after obtaining approval from CAAN” he mentioned.
According to Shrestha, the airline is currently studying various destinations in China. “We are analyzing potential commercial destinations among various cities in China for flights from Pokhara and Bhairahawa,” he said.
The company plans to operate regular commercial flights from Pokhara and chartered flights from Bhairahawa.
Himalaya Airlines, established in 2014, is a joint venture between Tibet Civil Aviation Development and Investment Company of China and Nepal’s Yeti World Investment.
Currently, the airline operates regular flights to destinations such as Beijing, Chongqing, Kuala Lumpur, Doha, Dammam, Dubai, Riyadh, Dhaka, and Kuwait with a fleet of four aircraft: three Airbus 320-214s and one Airbus 319-115.
Seeing the potential to bring Chinese tourists to Pokhara and Bhairahawa, the airline has initiated its preparations, Shrestha stated.
The Pokhara International Airport, operational for 23 months, has not yet seen a single regular commercial flight. However, there have been chartered flights from China.
Himalaya Airlines’ commercial operations are expected to encourage Chinese airlines to also launch regular flights, according to CAAN.
There have been no flights to China from Bhairahawa’s Gautam Buddha International Airport so far. Himalaya Airlines plans to start with chartered flights to China and gradually transition to regular flights.
“We will begin with chartered flights from Bhairahawa to assess the potential market and gradually move toward regular flights,” Shrestha explained.
Currently, airlines like Thai Air Asia, Qatar Airways, Jazeera Airways, Fly Dubai, and Nepal Airlines operate regular flights to various destinations from Bhairahawa.
Due to the reduction in flights at Tribhuvan International Airport caused by taxiway expansion since November 9, several airlines have started operating from Bhairahawa.
Three months ago, the government decided to offer various service concessions to airlines operating international flights from Bhairahawa and Pokhara.
