Himal Press 
POKHARA: Pokhara International Airport handled its first international flight, six months after it was formally inaugurated. A chartered flight of Sichuan Airlines arrived in Pokhara on Wednesday morning, carrying passengers from Chengdu.
The Airbus A319 aircraft of the Chinese carrier was greeted with a water cannon salute as it approached the parking bay.
Minister for Culture, Tourism, and Civil Aviation, Sudhan Kiranti, along with other high-ranking officials, warmly received the passengers at the airport.
The chartered flight flew Chinese tourists and athletes, who are participating in the Nepal-China Friendship Dragon Boat Race Festival, scheduled to be held at Fewa Lake on June 8 and 9, to Pokhara. It will depart for Chengdu via Kathmandu at 11 am.
While domestic carrier Buddha Air has expressed interest in initiating flights to three Indian cities from Pokhara, the process hasn’t moved forward.
The airport, built with a loan of $215 million from the China EXIM Bank, has the capacity to accommodate medium-sized jets like the Airbus A320 and the Boeing 737.
