Nepal Airlines Launches Direct Flights to Guangzhou

Nepal Airlines Corporation (NAC), the country’s flag carrier, has started direct flights to Guangzhou, China, expanding its international network to 11 destinations across nine countries. The Kathmandu–Guangzhou–Kathmandu service began on Saturday after a brief delay.

NAC had planned to inaugurate the route on September 25, but minor technical issues forced the first flight to depart two days later. Several invited guests and passengers were already at Tribhuvan International Airport when the initial takeoff was cancelled, and the airline managed their accommodations and arrangements, according to NAC spokesperson Manoj Kumar Sah.

The inaugural flight left Kathmandu on Saturday afternoon and returned on Sunday with 107 passengers. Following the inaugural flight on September 28, the NAC has announced additional flights on October 16, 19, and 23. Regular flights will follow the original schedule, with three weekly services on Sundays, Tuesdays, and Saturdays.

One-way fare for the Kathmandu–Guangzhou flight has been set at Rs 30,000, with round-trip tickets priced at Rs 50,000. Currently, China Southern Airlines and Nepal’s Himalaya Airlines operate on this route, and the growing Nepali community in Guangzhou is expected to make the service profitable for NAC.

With the addition of Guangzhou, NAC now operates international flights to Doha (Qatar), Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia), Dubai (UAE), Hong Kong, Delhi, Mumbai, and Bangalore (India), Bangkok (Thailand), Dammam (Saudi Arabia), and Narita (Japan). The airline runs these services with a fleet of two narrow-body and two wide-body aircraft. -- RSS