After a long wait, Pokhara International Airport welcomed its first daily commercial international flight on Wednesday. The Boeing 737 MAX 8 operated by Flydubai, which can seat 166 passengers, landed at the airport with 113 passengers on board and returned with 152. Pokhrelis and hotel associations are buoyed by news of a daily flight between Pokhara and Dubai. Pokhara can attract passengers from other countries beyond the UAE. This is truly a moment of happiness and celebration. Still, the question remains: Are we prepared to sustain it?

Nepal’s international connectivity primarily depends on Tribhuvan International Airport in Kathmandu. Although the country has launched two other international airports—Pokhara International Airport in Pokhara and Gautam Buddha International Airport in Bhairahawa—leaders and politicians have long favoured Kathmandu airport, which directly impacts the operations of PIA and GBIA. In March 2025, Himalayan Airlines operated its weekly Pokhara–Lhasa service, but halted it due to low passenger turnout. Pokhara only received occasional charter flights from China and Bhutan. Bhairahawa’s case is also noteworthy. The GBIA experienced a sudden increase in international flights when the TIA reduced its operating hours from November 2024 for maintenance work. But soon after regular operations resumed at the Kathmandu airport, GBIA lost all the airlines. 

What the government still hasn’t been able to do is decentralise labour, medical, and other services to the districts where the two less-used airports are located. One may have an airport near their home and district, but when they have to travel to Kathmandu for paperwork and medical tests, they find it feasible to fly from the capital. Even manpower companies, which help migrant workers secure visas and jobs, predominantly operate in Kathmandu. This also increases the likelihood that people will fly from the federal capital. 

The government cannot squander the opportunity Flydubai offers in Pokhara because it can create significant ripple effects across the regional and national economy. If we can sustain scheduled operations, the day PIA—and even GBIA—receives more international aircraft will not be far off. The government is reportedly preparing to engage manpower companies to increase the number of passengers at both airports. In addition, the government has exempted airlines from landing, parking, navigation and ground-handling costs. It has also offered discounts on regular flights arriving at both airports. A promotion committee to attract more airlines to these airports has also been formed. These are much-needed steps.

It remains to be seen whether these plans will be implemented, and to do so, the government must move beyond its business-as-usual approach—prioritising TIA—and manage these airports as parts of one national system. Immigration services, agriculture and animal quarantine services, customs and cargo handling, an adequate aviation fuel depot, warehousing and transit facilities need to function in a full-fledged manner. Authorities should also be prepared to arrange accommodations for passengers and crew if an aircraft is grounded. This warrants Pokhara’s private sector, including hotels, transport operators, travel agencies and other businesses, to prepare for what international air connectivity offers. It is also important to ensure that road connectivity to these airports from neighbouring districts is in good condition. Otherwise, it will deter passengers from choosing to fly from there. 

One international flight must not make our authorities complacent. Continued diplomatic negotiations with other countries should be pursued to invite airlines to Bhairahawa and expand international connections in Pokhara. Flydubai has opened the door. It is up to us to keep it open.