Pokhara International Airport has its first international flight with the A319 aircraft of Sichuan Airlines landing at the airport on Wednesday morning. After it was formally inaugurated on 1 Jan 2023, by Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal, it is the first time that the airport received an international flight. The plane carrying some Nepali and Chinese officials and Chinese players to take part in the Nepal-China Friendship Dragon Boat Race Festival to be organized in Pokhara landed at 9:06 am on Wednesday morning, according to the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN). The plane was welcomed with a water cannon salute. Sichuan Airlines conducted a chartered flight from Chengdu of Sichuan Province to Pokhara. The delay in conducting international flights and the report about its infeasibility to land narrow-body planes such as Airbus A320 and A319 in their full load capacity raised questions about the massive investment to build this airport. The project was built by taking $215.96m in loans from the China Exim Bank.

The landing of A319 aircraft with 70 passengers and cargo loads at Pokhara International Airport showed that the airport is suitable for landing the type of aircraft the airport was supposed to accommodate,” said a senior official of CAAN. “The landing of the chartered flight also confirmed that equipment installed in the airport is in good condition and the geography of Pokhara can accommodate the jets that we envisioned.”

Earlier media reports suggested that the airport has a payload issue as planes like Airbus A320 and A319 could not land there at their full capacity. Airports have load restrictions determined by obstacles, runway length, temperature, quality, and other factors. Load restrictions contribute to the rise in the operating cost of airlines. The first successful landing of the aircraft of Sichuan Airlines has not yet erased the doubt about the commercial viability to operate flights from and to this airport which is surrounded by high hills. Other international airlines are yet to come up with their plan to operate international flights from and to this airport. Even the state-owned Nepal Airlines is yet to announce a plan to operate its international flights from Pokhara. After the landing of a plane run by Sichuan Airlines, Ganesh Prasad Timilsina, Chairperson of National Assembly said that he, during his recent China visit, had insisted that the Chinese side start the first international flight in this airport as it is the Chinese-aided project. Timilsina stressed the need for regular flights to and from this airport while pointing out that operating flights should also be commercially viable. “All the stakeholders should work together to ensure regular international flights,” he said, adding that the federal government, Pokhara Metropolitan City, and tourism entrepreneurs should also make common efforts for the purpose. CAAN has not yet confirmed when the regular international flights will be conducted to and from this airport. In a statement posted on social media, the CAAN said, “Discussions with the relevant parties are underway to establish regular flights in the future.” A senior official of CAAN said that regular fights could start within a few months. “We hope to see increased regular flights from and to the Pokhara International Airport in September and October when foreign tourists visit Nepal in large numbers,” the official said. “ Nepal Airlines and Himalaya Airlines are also showing interest in conducting international flights.”