KATHMANDU, June 27: The national flag carrier Nepal Airlines Corporation (NAC) will operate a direct flight from Bhairahawa to Hong Kong. NAC, which is flying direct from Kathmandu to Hong Kong, is also going to operate flights from Bhairahawa to Hong Kong.
According to the corporation, it is going to expand the flights by connecting the world famous Lumbini with Hong Kong by air with the aim of bringing in more tourists from there. The corporation is also planning to operate flights from Bhairahawa to New Delhi soon. Ramesh Paudel, spokesperson for the corporation, said that the final preparations are being made to operate flights from Bhairahawa to Hong Kong and New Delhi. “We have prepared a flight from Bhairahawa to Hong Kong; it will be completed in a day or two. There is a plan to expand flights to other countries including New Delhi,'' he said.
According to Spokesperson Paudel, ticket booking will be opened for flights to both destinations within the next 15 days. There are also plans to operate flights from Bhairahawa to destinations such as Dubai and Doha.
Hong Kong, the Pearl of the Orient, will shine again
The corporation is currently operating two flights a week from Kathmandu to Hong Kong, as well as two daily flights to New Delhi. Spokesman Paudel said that the number of flights from Bhairahawa to both destinations has not yet been decided.
In addition to starting regular flights at Gautam Buddha International Airport located in Bhairahawa from 12th June, the corporation has been flying on the Bhairahawa-Malaysia and Malaysia-Bhairahawa-Kathmandu sectors.
The corporation management has decided to take a special initiative to start flights from the Gautam Buddha International Airport, which was built under the project of National Pride, in coordination with the Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation.
Kuwait's Jazeera Airways had been flying to Bhairahawa Airport, which has been operating commercially since 16th May 2022. But the airline recently suspended the flight citing technical reasons.
Minister for Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation, Sudan Kirati, while replying to the questions raised on the allocation topic related to the Ministry of Tourism in the meeting of the House of Representatives on Monday, asserted that efforts are being made to operate Gautam Buddha International Airport and Pokhara International Airport effectively. He said that the corporation has already started Kuala Lumpur-Bhairahawa-Kathmandu flight at Gautam Buddha Airport, but Jazeera Airways recently suspended the flight due to technical reasons.
Similarly, the Minister for Tourism said that recently China's Sichuan Airlines has launched a chartered flight from Chengdu to Pokhara International Airport and this will open the door for commercial flights in the future. Recently Sichuan Airlines had a chartered flight about six months after Pokhara International Airport came into operation. Before that, Himalaya Airlines had conducted a test flight on the opening day of the airport on December 29, 2022.
