Himalaya Airlines has launched its first direct scheduled service between Tribhuvan International Airport and Shenzhen Bao'an International Airport, opening a new air link between Nepal and one of China’s most important economic and technology hubs.

The inaugural Kathmandu–Shenzhen flight departed Kathmandu at 9:59 pm Nepal time on Thursday with 98 passengers on board and arrived in Shenzhen at 4:17 am China time on June 5. The return flight left Shenzhen at 6:12 am China time on June 5, carrying 157 passengers and landed in Kathmandu at 8:26 am Nepal time the same day.

The airline said the route is being operated with an Airbus A320 configured with 180 seats. Shenzhen, China’s first Special Economic Zone, is widely known as a major centre for technology, manufacturing, finance and innovation, and the new service is expected to strengthen business, tourism and people-to-people connectivity between Nepal and southern China.