Sichuan Airlines operated a promotional flight from Pokhara International Airport to Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA) in Kathmandu on Thursday.
The Airbus A319, carrying 126 passengers—including Gandaki Province Minister for Industry and Tourism, Mitra Lal Basyal, along with high-ranking officials, tourism entrepreneurs, and media representatives—landed at TIA in the afternoon.
Earlier that day, Sichuan Airlines had also flown a flight from Chengdu, China, to Pokhara, carrying 129 passengers.
This marked the first time the Pokhara International Airport saw an Airbus aircraft arriving and departing at full capacity.
At a press conference at TIA, Pradip Adhikari, Director General of the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal, assured that there were no issues with planes landing or taking off from Pokhara International Airport.
He explained that the successful operation of the promotional flight, which involved smooth aircraft handling, confirmed there were no problems with the runway, and the nearby hills posed no obstacle. He emphasized that the Airbus flight’s success proves the viability of international flights from Pokhara and called on the private sector to cooperate with authorities in facilitating these operations.
