Kathmandu. Flydubai is going to start direct flights on the Pokhara-Dubai route. According to Jagannath Niraula, General Manager of Pokhara International Airport, the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN) has granted permission to Flydubai for daily Dubai-Pokhara-Dubai flight from September 23.

“The Pokhara-Dubai flight schedule of Flydubai has been approved on Monday. He said, “Daily flights from Pokhara-Dubai will start from September 23. ’

A team from Flydubai had inspected high-level security, safety and operation of Pokhara International Airport a few days ago. Flydubai has received the permission to operate flights shortly after the government announced to make diplomatic initiatives to attract international airlines to Pokhara International Airport in the policy and program for the upcoming fiscal year 2083/84.

Dhanraj Acharya, mayor of Pokhara Metropolitan City, said that a significant progress has been made in the direction of operating regular international flights from Pokhara International Airport, which is the third international air gateway of Nepal.

“This is not only an issue of adding air service, but also a historic opportunity to promote Pokhara’s international identity, promote tourism, expand economic activities and decentralize Kathmandu-centric air traffic,” he said. He said, “With the establishment of direct air connectivity with Dubai, Pokhara will have access to more than 300 cities including the Middle East, Europe and Africa.” ’

Except for charter flights to some neighbouring countries, regular international flights have not been operated from Pokhara so far. The Pokhara International Airport, built at a cost of around Rs 22 billion, is limited to domestic flights only. The airport was inaugurated on January 1, 2023.

In March 2025, Himalaya Airlines started its first regular flight from Pokhara to Lhasa. Himalaya Airlines suspended its Pokhara-Lhasa flight from March 23.

Although a 50-year-old plan to construct an international airport in Pokhara has materialized, the airport has not come into full operation. Tourism entrepreneurs are also waiting for regular international flights from Pokhara, which is also the capital of tourism, hoping to bring in a large number of foreign tourists by connecting it to the international air network. Tourism entrepreneurs say that investment worth around one billion rupees has been added to Pokhara’s tourism after the construction of this airport.

The entrepreneurs have been demanding ease in rules and regulations required for operating international flights from Pokhara and allowing national airlines to operate flights to major cities of India and China. Domestic airlines operators operate domestic flights to the federal capital Kathmandu, Bharatpur, Bhairahawa and other destinations from Pokhara International Airport.