Himal Press 
KATHMANDU: A delegation of Chinese carrier China Southern met Minister for Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation Badri Prasad Pandey on Thursday and discussed the possibility of operating flights to new international airports in Pokhara and Bhairahawa.
A statement issued by Minister Pandey’s secretariat after the meeting said officials of China Southern said they were encouraged to operate flights to the two airports.
China Southern currently operates scheduled flights on the Guangzhou-Kathmandu sector. According to the statement, China Southern officials also praised several incentives announced by the ministry to encourage international airlines to fly to the two new airports.
“I welcome your interest in flying to the tourism capital Pokhara and Bhairahawa, the birthplace of Lord Gautam Buddha. This will benefit bilateral interests and expand mutual relations. Your regular flights will benefit both Nepal and China,” Minister Pandey told the Chinese delegation.
Pandey suggested that Nepal Airlines could benefit from China Southern in terms of aviation safety.
China Southern is the largest Chinese carrier in terms of fleet size, route network coverage and passenger traffic.
Pokhara International Airport, which was officially inaugurated on January 1, 2023, is yet to see any scheduled flights. Similarly, Gautam Buddha International Airport in Bhairahwa, which began operations in May 2022, currently lacks international flights, despite initially welcoming Jazeera Airways from Kuwait City.
