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Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal inaugurated Pokhara International Airport amidst a special program on Sunday. The Prime Minister had arrived in Pokhara this morning to inaugurate the airport. He was accompanied by Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Bishnu Poudel. Senior leaders of various political parties had also reached Pokhare to attend the inauguration ceremony. With the inauguration of the airport, all the domestic flights will be operated from today. The locals of Pokhara have been elected with the operation of the airport after a long wait. The prosperity of Pokhara has been expected from the same. Though the airport officially came into operation from today, the date for the operation of international flights has not been fixed yet. Thai Smile Airways and Jazeera Airways among others have been showing willingness to operate the flights, the Civil Aviation Authority said. The Pokhara Metropolitan City gave its citizens the public holiday today to make the day special.

Preparations have been made for the grand inauguration of newly constructed Pokhara Regional International Airport. The Pokhara Regional international airport is going to be officially brought into operation from January 1, 2023, the first day of English New Year. According to Pokhara International Airport Civil Aviation Office, Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal is scheduled to inaugurate the airport amidst a grand ceremony. Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Bishnu Poudel, top leaders of different political parties, industrialists, and tourism entrepreneurs would attend the inauguration, said Director of Pokhara International Airport, Bikram Gautam. All the preparations for the inauguration of the airport have reached the final phase, he added.  All crew members and passengers of the first plane landing at Pokhara International Airport would be welcomed with garlands, according to the Pokhara International Airport Civil Aviation Office. Similarly, the inauguration programme would start from 11:00 am and the celebration programme is scheduled after 2:00 pm. The inauguration programme would be made grand by organising different processions, fashion shows at coordination of Pokhara Metropolitan City and Pokhara Tourism Council, mentioned Gautam. Pokhara metropolis has said a variety of programmes as cultural tableaus of various ethnic communities, felicitation programme, cultural performances and celebration would be organized on the occasion. Various personalities, including Shankar Raj Pathak, who conceptualized the construction of an international airport in Pokahara, would be felicitated. The Pokhara Metropolitan City had carried out a cleaning programme from the Lakeside up to Kotre on December 28 targeting the inauguration. Stating that the Pokhara International Airport is a matter of pride for the city, Mayor Dhanaraj Acharya insisted on making the inauguration programme grandiose and systematic. “The Pokhara International Airport is not only the dream of the Pokharelis (dwellers of Pokhara) for many decades, but it is the ‘lifeline’ of the entire western region of the country. The efficient operation of the airport is going to be important,” he said, adding that the metropolis is carrying out works to make the inauguration a grand occasion. Mayor Acharya informed that various sub-committees have been formed for this.  According to him, the airport is going to be a milestone for the promotion of tourism not only in Pokhara but the entire country, so the message of its inauguration should be spread throughout the world. The direct air connectivity with international cities would contribute more in the promotion of Pokhara. All the domestic flights would be conducted from the Pokhara airport from the day of its opening. The private airlines companies have made preparations including setting up offices for starting flights from the new airport. The Buddha Air, Saurya Airlines and Yeti Airlines have already conducted successful test flights. Construction of an international airport in Pokhara has been a dream of the Pokhara folks for five decades and it has been realized now. The operation of the international airport has elated the Pokhara dwellers and the tourism entrepreneurs and kindled hope that it would open the door to prosperity of Pokhara. “Pokhara is a major tourism destination in the country and the tourism industry is definitely going to be benefitted from the operation of the international airport. Hence, the excitement especially among the tourism entrepreneurs here,” said Pom Narayan Shrestha, President of Pokhara Tourism Council. He expressed the confidence that tourist arrival to the town will increase with the operation of the international airport, giving a boost to the tourism sector marred by COVID pandemic. Shrestha said the tourism entrepreneurs, investors and businessmen are all happy in the hope that it will revive tourism. The Pokhara Regional International Airport is constructed by the Chinese construction company – CAMCE. The airport was handed over to Nepal during the visit of Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in April last year. Some works of the airport were remaining at that time.

The country’s weather is likely to remain partly to generally cloudy in the coming week. The influence of westerly wind is likely to cause partial to general changes in the mountainous belt and bring light snowfall in the hilly areas. The Department of Hydrology and Meteorology said that light rain is possible at one or two places of hilly region of Province 1, Gandaki Province, Karnali Province and Sudur Paschim Province while chances of light snowfall are at a few places of high mountainous region of the country today. The Department further said that there will be light partly to generally cloudy in the hilly regions of the country while the weather will be partly cloudy to mainly fair in the rest of the country tonight. Light rain is possible at one or two places of hilly regions of Province 1, Gandaki Province, Karnali Province and Sudur Paschim Province Chances of light snowfall at a few places of high mountainous region of the country tonight, according to the Department. The Department has urged one and all to remain cautious of the complications brought out by the changes in weather conditions. According to the recent updates, today the Kathmandu Valley recorded a minimum temperature of 4.0 degree Celsius and maximum 16.2 degree Celsius.

The influence of westerly wind is likely to cause partial to general changes in the mountainous belt and bring light snowfall in the hilly areas of the Province-1 and Sudurpaschim Province. Likewise, partial changes would occur in the mountainous belt of other provinces owing to the effects in the country's weather systems, said the Department of Hydrology and Meteorology. The Department further informed that light snowfall was likely to take place in the hilly region of the province-1 in the coming 24 hours. Some parts of Terai would see foggy weather conditions which may also affect the normal lives. The Department has urged one and all to remain cautious of the complications brought out by the changes in weather conditions. According to the recent updates, today Kathmandu Valley would have a minimum 3.8 degree Celsius and maximum 18.5 degree Celsius.