For the first time, an international charter flight has taken off from Pokhara International Airport, marking a milestone in Nepal’s aviation sector. Initiated by the Pokhara Tourism Council, the first commercial flight from Pokhara to Chengdu, China, was successfully conducted on Tuesday.
A Sichuan Airlines aircraft carried 126 passengers from Pokhara to Chengdu, departing at 12:45 PM. Earlier, the same aircraft had landed at Pokhara Airport at 11:45 AM, bringing 127 Chinese tourists to Nepal.
Among the passengers on this historic charter flight were Pokhara Metropolitan City Mayor Dhanraj Acharya and several tourism entrepreneurs from Pokhara. Additionally, members of the Visit Pokhara Year 2025 Executive Committee, including Coordinator Gopi Bahadur Bhattarai, Pokhara Tourism Council President Taranath Pahari, and Pokhara Tourism Board Chief Mani Raj Lamichhane, were on board. Five journalists from Pokhara also joined the flight to Chengdu.
The Pokhara delegation is scheduled to stay in Chengdu for a week before returning. However, Mayor Dhanraj Acharya will return earlier via Kathmandu due to work commitments.
Although Pokhara International Airport has previously handled four international charter flights, this marks the first time a direct outbound flight from Pokhara to an international destination has taken place. This development is seen as a crucial step toward launching regular international flights from the airport.
Following the success of this first charter flight, stakeholders are confident that weekly Pokhara-Chengdu flights will become a reality. An initial agreement has been made to operate charter flights for three weeks, with a verbal agreement for an additional seven weeks.
The Pokhara Tourism Council has confirmed that the second charter flight, scheduled for next week, will carry prominent figures from Pokhara along with journalists, while the third flight will include social activists and community leaders. The coordination for these flights is being handled by China Travels International Chengdu and the Chinese Overseas Association in Nepal.
Over the next three months, efforts are underway to bring more than 1,250 Chinese tourists to Nepal through Pokhara International Airport, with support from the Chinese Embassy.
Pokhara Mayor Dhanraj Acharya expressed optimism that these charter flights would eventually lead to the establishment of regular commercial flights. He emphasized the need to transition to scheduled international flights, stating that the charter operations are a stepping stone toward this goal.
Gopi Bahadur Bhattarai, Coordinator of the Visit Pokhara Year 2025 Committee, highlighted the significance of this initiative, stating that the success of charter flights would encourage further investment in regular international air travel. He also noted that this development would help resolve long-standing questions regarding Pokhara International Airport’s status as a truly international hub.
