Bhutan Airlines to Operate Chartered Flights Between Pokhara and Paro

Bhutan Airlines is set to operate direct chartered flights between Pokhara International Airport and Paro, Bhutan, marking a rare international service from the newly built airport that has struggled to attract regular flights.

According to Universal Tours and Travel (UTT), four chartered flights have been scheduled on September 28, October 2, 6, and 10. The flights will be operated with a 126-seat aircraft, and UTT has launched a four-night, five-day travel package alongside the flights.

Parasar Prasai, Director of UTT, said continued efforts could eventually make regular international flights from Pokhara possible if the government provides adequate incentives to airlines.

Pokhara Metropolitan City Mayor Dhanraj Acharya welcomed the Bhutan connection, saying it would boost tourism ties between Nepal and Bhutan and strengthen Pokhara’s access to the international market. He expressed hope that the service could pave the way for regular international operations after Prime Minister KP Oli’s upcoming visit to India.

Read: Flights from Pokhara to Australia in the Offing

Former Chairman of the Pokhara Tourism Council, Pomanarayan Shrestha, said the flight announcement had raised expectations in the local tourism industry. He urged all three levels of government to push for regular flights, which he said would lower fares in line with government plans while allowing tourists to enjoy the natural beauty of Pokhara.

To encourage international flights from underutilized airports, the government recently introduced special incentives for Pokhara and Gautam Buddha international airports. Since August 12, 2024 airlines operating international flights from these airports have been exempted from most charges, including passenger service fees, landing, parking, and navigation fees. Only 25 percent of the usual ground-handling fee charged by Nepal Airlines applies.

Currently, Bhutan Airlines operates four weekly flights between Paro and Kathmandu’s Tribhuvan International Airport. Earlier, Pokhara had seen limited international operations, including a Sichuan Airlines chartered flight from Chengdu, China, in June 2023, and a brief series of chartered flights connected with the Nepal–China Friendship Dragon Boat Festival. Himalayan Airlines currently operates one weekly scheduled service between Lhasa and Pokhara. Meanwhile, Sichuan Airlines has sought approval from the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal to launch Australia-bound flights from Pokhara via Chengdu.

Officials and tourism entrepreneurs hope that with Bhutan Airlines, Sichuan Airlines, and Himalayan Airlines showing interest, Pokhara International Airport—opened on January 1, 2023, as a national pride project built at a cost of Rs 22 billion—could finally see sustained international operations.

The airport, spread over 3,900 ropanis (about 198 hectares), features a 2,500-meter-long, 45-meter-wide runway and has the capacity to serve 800,000 passengers annually. -- RSS