Pokhara Airport to operate first international flight today

Kathmandu: Pokhara International Airport, which was inaugurated on January 1 this year, is prepared to operate its first international flight today.

A chartered flight of Sichuan Airlines is scheduled to land in Pokhara on Wednesday from Tianfu International Airport in Chengdu, China. Currently, Sichuan operates regular flights to Tribhuvan International Airport.

‘Sichuan Airlines is going to operate a chartered flight on Wednesday in view of ‘Nepal China Dragon Boat Race Festival’ to be held at Phewa Lake on June 23 and 24,’ Pokhara Airport Chief Bikram Gautam said, ‘The flight is scheduled to land in Pokhara at 9:30 am today with athletes participating in the festival.’

Jagannath Niraula, spokeperson of Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal, said 130 passengers will land at Pokhara Airport by Sichuan’s Airbus A-319 aircraft. The flight will stay at Pokhara airport for about two hours and return to Chengdu, China via Kathmandu today.

National Assembly Chair Ganesh Prasad Timilsina, lawmakers Pradeep Yadav, Dhaval Shumsher JB Rana, Deepa Gurung, Udaya Bahadur Bohara, Hari Shankar Chaudhary and Jeevan Pariyar, who are currently on a visit to China, will also land in Pokhara on the same flight, Timilsina added.