Pokhara: Himalaya Airlines is set to launch the first commercial flights from Pokhara International Airport, marking two years since the airport began operations. The airline will commence flights to Lhasa, China, starting March 31.
According to National News Agency Nepal, Himalaya Airlines announced through a press release that it will operate flights connecting Kathmandu-Lhasa-Pokhara-Kathmandu. The airline has scheduled a weekly flight to link Pokhara with Lhasa. The required flight permissions have been secured from the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN) for the Lhasa route. Gyanendra Bhul, Information Officer of CAAN, stated that the airline requested permission to operate the first scheduled flight to Lhasa.
In related developments, Sichuan Airlines from China is preparing to operate a Pokhara-Chengdu commercial flight once a week starting March 18, although it has not yet received flight permission from CAAN. The expansion of the aviation network between Pokhara and Lhasa, known as the ‘Roof of the World,’ is expected to increase the number of Chinese tourists visiting Nepal. Himalaya Airlines currently operates five flights a week from Kathmandu.