flydubai has launched daily non-stop flights between Dubai International (DXB) and Pokhara International Airport (PHH), creating the first direct air link between Dubai and Western Nepal.
The inaugural flight departed from Terminal 3 at DXB on September 23 and was welcomed with a ceremonial water cannon salute on arrival in Pokhara.
Pokhara becomes the airline's second destination in Nepal after Kathmandu. Widely regarded as the country's adventure tourism capital, the city is also the main gateway to the Annapurna Mountain range. The new route lifts flydubai's total weekly flights to Nepal to 35, adding to its four daily services to Kathmandu and expanding passenger and cargo capacity.
The move builds on a long presence in the market. Since 2009, the airline has carried more than 4.5 million passengers to and from Kathmandu, and 65% of that traffic has connected onto the flydubai and Emirates network through Dubai's aviation hub. The Pokhara service reflects a push to improve links with underserved markets and strengthen Dubai's standing as a global hub for travel, trade and tourism.
Sudhir Sreedharan, Divisional Senior Vice President of Commercial Operations at flydubai, said Nepal has long been an integral part of the network.
"Since launching operations to Kathmandu 17 years ago, our objective has been to offer a direct and accessible link between the UAE and Nepal,"
he said. He added that the daily Pokhara flights strengthen that commitment by giving travellers a non-stop connection to the country's tourism capital and an entry point to one of South Asia's most popular leisure and adventure destinations.
The launch also reinforces flydubai's position as the airline with the widest network between Dubai and South Asia. It now flies to 20 destinations across Afghanistan, Bangladesh, India, the Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka, with more than 380 weekly flights to the region.
The service operates under the airline's codeshare partnership with Emirates. Passengers travelling to and from Pokhara can reach more than 140 destinations across Asia, Europe and the Americas via Dubai, with single-ticket booking and through-checked baggage. Popular connections from Nepal onto the flydubai network include Bucharest, Dammam, Jeddah, Muscat and Riyadh, while Larnaca, Lisbon, London, New York and Vienna remain among the top feeder markets from the Emirates network.
News Source: Emirates News Agency
