SATV，Kathmandu Aug. 18: The Pokhara Regional International Airport (PIA), a Rs. 22 billion project, was able to conduct only 42 international flights in the past more than two-and-a-half years.
Except for a few chartered services and Himalayan Airlines’ weekly scheduled flight, the airport remains largely limited to domestic operations.
Since its inauguration on 1 January 2023, the airport has struggled to operate international flights effectively, hindering the plan of Gandaki Province and Pokhara to directly attract foreign visitors.
So far, only 13 international chartered flights have been recorded, seven in 2023, four in 2024, and two in 2025. Even the weekly Pokhara–Lhasa service launched by Himalayan Airlines in March has seen very few passengers.
Himalayan Airlines, which operated the inaugural international service, has completed 21 flights from Pokhara to date, while Sichuan Airlines has conducted 11, and other carriers account for 10 more. According to Pokhara Airport’s records, a total of 2,910 passengers have travelled on international flights since the airport came into operation.
Airport spokesperson Jasoda Subedi said that Sichuan Airlines alone brought 1,127 tourists to Pokhara on 11 flights, with 797 passengers flying from Pokhara to China.
In addition, 1,924 passengers have travelled on Sichuan’s commercial charter service between Pokhara and Chengdu. Over this period, aircraft from 10 airlines, including Sichuan and Himalayan, have landed in Pokhara.
Subedi also confirmed that another airline is scheduled to begin flights from September. “Himalayan has maintained regular services for the past two months, arriving in Pokhara on Mondays and departing on Tuesdays. Sichuan has also informed us that it will commence regular flights to Pokhara from September,” she said.
The first commercial international service was recorded eight months after the airport opened, when a Druk Air flight brought in just three passengers but departed with 42. Despite the challenges in international operations, domestic air traffic has grown significantly since the new airport was built, with 905,000 passengers in 2023 and 1.023 million in 2024.
The PIA is now equipped with a fuel depot and an immigration office. Chief Immigration Officer Hari Bahadur Bhujel said that the immigration office is fully functional with the required infrastructure and personnel. Nepal Oil Corporation has invested Rs. 750 million to construct a fuel depot at the airport, comprising three large storage tanks with a combined capacity of 1,200 kilolitres.
Stakeholders have suggested that new routes should be added and regular services expanded. Former president of the Federation of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce and Industry, Ananda Raj Mulmi, said that while VIP and European-bound flights could boost tourism and aviation prospects in Pokhara, the focus must remain on ensuring consistent operations.
“Efforts must be made to establish routes such as Pokhara–Kunming–Hong Kong and Pokhara–Chengdu. Strong commitment is essential. We cannot afford to let such a huge investment go to waste,” said Mulmi.
