Fly Dubai reps, Pokhara tourism leaders discuss sustainability of Pokhara–Dubai route

GANDAKI: Representatives of Fly Dubai and Pokhara-based tourism entrepreneurs held a meeting on Sunday to discuss measures to ensure the sustainability of the Pokhara–Dubai flight service.

Flights on the Pokhara–Dubai route are scheduled to begin on September 23.

At a meeting with office-bearers of the Pokhara Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the Restaurant and Bar Association (REBAN) Pokhara, Fly Dubai’s Nepal General Manager Nawaraj Shahi outlined progress made to make the service durable and reliable. He said support from local communities and stakeholders will be vital to its long-term viability and noted the service would provide direct connections from Pokhara to international destinations including London, New York and Tokyo.

Gokarna Karki, president of Pokhara Chamber of Commerce and Industry, pledged that the private sector would give all possible support to make international flights from Pokhara sustainable.

The Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN) granted Fly Dubai permission last month to operate Dubai–Pokhara–Dubai flights on a daily basis. Fly Dubai has since unveiled its schedule for the route.

The government’s policy and programme for the upcoming fiscal year 2026/27 stated that diplomatic initiatives will be pursued to attract international carriers to Pokhara International Airport, and Fly Dubai received permission shortly afterwards.

Tourism entrepreneurs in Pokhara expressed hope that the new service will bring a significant increase in foreign visitors once flights commence.

Pokhara International Airport currently operates no regular international services, aside from occasional charter flights to a few countries. The airport was built with a loan of around Rs 22 billion and, since its inauguration on January 1, 2023, has been limited to domestic operations.

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