Why Nepal’s China-built airport is ‘cautiously optimistic’ over first international flight
A China-built airport in Nepal’s second-largest town is set for its first scheduled international flight, two years after its inauguration raised hopes of attracting more carriers to fly directly to Pokhara. Himalaya Airlines will launch a weekly flight from Pokhara International Airport to Lhasa on March 31, marking a significant milestone for the airport. In a statement on Monday, the airline said the flight would improve connectivity between the countries and attract more Chinese tourists to Nepal. Tourism entrepreneurs in Pokhara, desperate for a commercial international flight from the new airport, welcomed the announcement and called it “long overdue”, but raised concerns about the route’s sustainability. “We’re excited but cautiously optimistic,” said Chet Bahadur Karki, general secretary of the Nepal Association of Tour and Travel Agents of Gandaki province. “The airline could have connected Pokhara to Chinese cities with better onward connections or labour-intensive markets in the Gulf,” he added. “Nevertheless, we will do our best to promote the Pokhara-Lhasa route to make it sustainable.” Pokhara, a picturesque town 200km west of the capital Kathmandu, has sought an international airport since the 1970s. However, progress only began in 2016 when Nepal and China signed a loan agreement for its construction. The US$216m airport opened in January 2023, but has seen only a few chartered international flights, mainly from China, for athletes attending sporting events in Pokhara. The absence of international flights had sparked concerns over the airport’s viability. Many speculated if it would suffer a similar fate as Sri Lanka’s China-built aviation hub – the Mattala Rajapaksa International Airport – which had taken losses since opening in 2013 due to low demand. Aviation analyst Hemant Arjyal said Pokhara needed a large influx of passengers from surrounding regions to make it operational, adding that fewer travel restrictions to and from Tibet would also help.<br/>
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Why Nepal’s China-built airport is ‘cautiously optimistic’ over first international flight
A China-built airport in Nepal’s second-largest town is set for its first scheduled international flight, two years after its inauguration raised hopes of attracting more carriers to fly directly to Pokhara. Himalaya Airlines will launch a weekly flight from Pokhara International Airport to Lhasa on March 31, marking a significant milestone for the airport. In a statement on Monday, the airline said the flight would improve connectivity between the countries and attract more Chinese tourists to Nepal. Tourism entrepreneurs in Pokhara, desperate for a commercial international flight from the new airport, welcomed the announcement and called it “long overdue”, but raised concerns about the route’s sustainability. “We’re excited but cautiously optimistic,” said Chet Bahadur Karki, general secretary of the Nepal Association of Tour and Travel Agents of Gandaki province. “The airline could have connected Pokhara to Chinese cities with better onward connections or labour-intensive markets in the Gulf,” he added. “Nevertheless, we will do our best to promote the Pokhara-Lhasa route to make it sustainable.” Pokhara, a picturesque town 200km west of the capital Kathmandu, has sought an international airport since the 1970s. However, progress only began in 2016 when Nepal and China signed a loan agreement for its construction. The US$216m airport opened in January 2023, but has seen only a few chartered international flights, mainly from China, for athletes attending sporting events in Pokhara. The absence of international flights had sparked concerns over the airport’s viability. Many speculated if it would suffer a similar fate as Sri Lanka’s China-built aviation hub – the Mattala Rajapaksa International Airport – which had taken losses since opening in 2013 due to low demand. Aviation analyst Hemant Arjyal said Pokhara needed a large influx of passengers from surrounding regions to make it operational, adding that fewer travel restrictions to and from Tibet would also help.<br/>
