Himal Press 
KATHMANDU: Flydubai is launching daily scheduled flights between Dubai and Pokhara from September 23.
The Dubai-based carrier formally announced the new flight service through a social media post on Thursday.
“Your next adventure awaits! Starting from 23 September, we are offering daily flights to Pokhara International Airport (PHH) in Nepal, from Dubai International,” the airline said in a post on its official Facebook page. “We will be the first carrier to service this new route from the United Arab Emirates, giving you access to the second largest city and tourism capital in the ‘Land of the Himalayas’.”
This marks a significant milestone for the new airport, which serves Pokhara, the tourism capital of Nepal, which has been struggling to attract and sustain international airline operations since its inauguration more than three years ago. Inaugurated on January 1, 2023, amid high expectations that it would boost tourism and regional connectivity in western Nepal, the airport has largely been limited to domestic flights and a handful of international charter services.
Pokhara International Airport was built at a cost of nearly Rs 22 billion, financed through a concessional loan from China. Corruption cases have been filed against dozens of people, including former tourism ministers and secretaries, for alleged irregularities during the construction of the airport.
However, efforts to establish regular international services at the airport have seen little success. Most recently, Himalaya Airlines launched a weekly flight between Pokhara and Lhasa on March 31, 2025. But the carrier suspended the service after less than a year, citing low passenger demand and poor occupancy rates.
