Pokhara, September 15, 2026 — UAE-based airline Flydubai is set to launch direct flights between Dubai and Pokhara from September 23, bringing regular international passenger services to Pokhara International Airport.
According to the airline’s published schedule, a Flydubai aircraft will arrive at Pokhara International Airport at 6:15 pm on the inaugural date. After passengers disembark, the aircraft will board passengers for the return journey and depart for Dubai at 7:15 pm.
Binod Singh Rawat, information officer at Tribhuvan International Airport, said Flydubai plans to deploy either Airbus A319 or Airbus A320 aircraft on the route.
The A319 aircraft can carry approximately 140 to 150 passengers, while the A320 has a capacity of around 160 to 180 passengers. Rawat said the airline will alternate between the two aircraft types on the Pokhara route based on passenger demand.
“There will be a significant number of passengers arriving in Pokhara on the inaugural flight, as the return flight to Dubai will carry both passengers and cargo,” Rawat said.
The Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal granted Flydubai approval in the final week of May to operate flights on the Dubai-Pokhara-Dubai route. Flydubai has also said that passengers departing from Pokhara could pay up to Rs 5,000 less in airfare compared with fares for flights originating in Kathmandu.
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Flydubai currently connects Dubai with more than 120 destinations internationally. The new service from Pokhara is expected to make international travel more accessible for passengers in western Nepal and provide easier connections to destinations served through the airline’s network.
The Pokhara service will operate under a strategic codeshare arrangement between Flydubai and Emirates. Through the partnership, passengers departing from Pokhara will be able to purchase a single booking for journeys to destinations in Australia, Europe and North America, with onward connections through the two airlines’ network.
The government had included efforts to attract international airlines to Pokhara International Airport in its policies and programmes for fiscal year 2026/27. Flydubai subsequently obtained regulatory approval to operate the route.
In May, Flydubai conducted a feasibility study for direct flights to Pokhara, a major tourism destination in Nepal.
Pokhara International Airport was constructed with a loan of approximately Rs 22 billion and officially opened on January 1, 2023. However, its international operations have remained limited since its inauguration, while the airport has primarily handled domestic flights.
The launch of Flydubai’s Dubai service is therefore expected to provide a significant boost to the airport’s international connectivity and offer travellers from Pokhara and surrounding areas a direct link to Dubai and onward destinations.