Flydubai’s first scheduled commercial international flight to Pokhara International Airport landed at 6:18 pm on Wednesday, opening a new chapter in the city’s international air connectivity.

The Boeing 737 MAX 8, with a capacity of 166 passengers, flew from Dubai International Airport and landed in Pokhara after about four hours and 30 minutes.

The aircraft was given a water-cannon welcome at the airport. It arrived with 113 passengers and is scheduled to depart for Dubai at 7:15 pm with 153 passengers.

Passengers arriving in Pokhara on the inaugural flight were welcomed with khadas, garlands and gifts under the leadership of the Pokhara Tourism Council. Passengers departing for Dubai were also given a farewell.

With the launch of the service, Flydubai will operate a daily scheduled flight between Pokhara and Dubai. The aircraft will carry passengers from Pokhara and return to Dubai the same evening.

Pokhara Metropolitan City Mayor Dhan Raj Acharya said the first scheduled international commercial flight from Pokhara marked a new beginning for tourism and international air connectivity.

“We had been waiting for the first scheduled international flight from Pokhara for a long time. Now that there will be a daily Pokhara-Dubai flight, it will make an important contribution to expanding Pokhara’s tourism and international air connectivity,” he said.

Local tourism businesses have also announced discounts and other incentives for passengers following the launch of the Flydubai service.

The Hotel Association Pokhara has announced one night’s free accommodation and breakfast the following morning for passengers arriving from Dubai on the inaugural flight. Passengers showing their boarding passes will also receive discounts of up to 30 percent at participating hotels.

The Restaurant and Bar Association Nepal, Pokhara, said passengers with boarding passes would receive discounts of 15 to 20 percent. The Lekhnath Hotel and Restaurant Association has offered discounts of up to 25 percent to Flydubai passengers. Trekking, travel and tourism transport businesses have also announced various discounts and packages.

Pokhara connected to more than 250 cities

Flydubai’s Pokhara service will operate from Terminal 3 of Dubai International Airport. The service is operated under a codeshare partnership with Emirates Airlines, allowing passengers travelling from Pokhara to reach more than 250 cities worldwide via Dubai.

Under the codeshare arrangement, passengers can travel on a single ticket, have their baggage checked through to their final destination and use the international networks of Flydubai and Emirates.

Flydubai itself flies to more than 120 destinations. Its partnership with Emirates, along with interline agreements with other airlines, further expands the range of international destinations accessible from Pokhara.

According to Flydubai’s Nepal general manager Navaraj Shahi, fares from Pokhara have been set lower than those from Kathmandu for major destinations on average.

He said fares vary by sector, but tickets from Pokhara to major destinations would generally be Rs4,000 to Rs5,000 cheaper, and in some cases an average of Rs3,000 to Rs7,000 cheaper.

Shahi said the company would not cancel flights because of low passenger numbers, as the Pokhara service is a scheduled operation.

Flydubai has been operating in Nepal since 2009. According to the company, it has so far served around four million passengers travelling to and from Nepal.

Since Pokhara International Airport began operations, it has handled various chartered and special flights from China, India and Bhutan. But Flydubai is the first airline to launch a daily scheduled commercial international service from Pokhara.