Breaking the Dry Spell: Fly Dubai’s Regular Flights to Pokhara See High Occupancy, Igniting Hope for Local Tourism

POKHARA: After waiting for nearly a year and a half to host regular international commercial flights, the Pokhara International Airport (PIA) is finally witnessing a steady influx of overseas passengers. The United Arab Emirates-based carrier, Fly Dubai, which launched its direct Dubai-Pokhara-Dubai service last Wednesday, has recorded an encouraging passenger turnout in its first few days of operation, sparking a wave of optimism among local tourism entrepreneurs and stakeholders.

Prior to this, the newly built airport—which officially came into operation in January 2023—had only seen sporadic international charter flights. By becoming the first international airline to establish a regular commercial route from PIA, Fly Dubai has broken the long-standing international silence at the airport. According to Binod Singh Rawat, the Information Officer at PIA, the 165-seater Boeing 737 Max 8 aircraft used by the airline has maintained a highly impressive occupancy rate since its inaugural flight.

Data provided by the airport authority illustrates a strong initial demand for the route. On Saturday, the fourth day of operations, the Fly Dubai aircraft landed at 6:05 PM carrying 156 passengers and departed for Dubai with 83 passengers. The momentum was equally strong on Thursday, with 122 inbound and 143 outbound passengers. While Friday’s flight had to be canceled due to adverse weather conditions, the historic inaugural flight on Wednesday brought 113 passengers to Pokhara and returned to Dubai with 152. The airline has scheduled daily flights, with arrivals set for 6:15 PM and departures at 7:15 PM.

The significance of this route extends far beyond a bilateral connection between Nepal and the UAE. Aviation and tourism experts point out that Dubai serves as a major global transit hub. This direct connection means tourists and Non-Resident Nepalis (NRNs) traveling from Europe, the United States, and other Gulf nations can now bypass Kathmandu and fly directly into the lake city. Local businesses are confident that this seamless connectivity will serve as a strategic catalyst for Pokhara’s tourism, hospitality sector, and broader economic activities.

Encouraged by the initial passenger volume, Pokhara's tourism sector is already mobilizing to capitalize on this new connectivity. Pom Narayan Shrestha, former president of the Pokhara Tourism Council, stated that the initial indicators are highly positive. "Advance bookings at tours and travel agencies look robust, and the business community is thrilled," Shrestha remarked. To ensure the sustainability of this route, local hotels and restaurants have already begun introducing special discount packages targeted specifically at passengers arriving via Fly Dubai.

This breakthrough is the direct result of recent policy interventions and aggressive diplomatic lobbying by the Nepal government. Facing widespread criticism over the airport's lack of international traffic, the government’s current fiscal year policies prioritized attracting foreign carriers to PIA. Following this mandate, the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN) granted flight permissions to Fly Dubai on June 7 (Jestha 25).

To make the route commercially viable for international airlines, the government has rolled out heavy financial incentives. Foreign carriers flying into Pokhara will enjoy a 100 percent waiver on parking, landing, and navigation fees until mid-September 2028 (Bhadra end, 2085 BS). Additionally, the government has slashed ground handling charges by 50 percent. If Fly Dubai’s promising start can be sustained, aviation experts believe it could send a strong, positive signal to other international airlines to begin operations in Pokhara.