A special chartered flight from Chengdu Airport, China, brought 129 passengers to Pokhara, including athletes who have arrived to participate in the International Dragon Boat Festival, which officially kicks off on Friday. The flight, operated by Sichuan Airlines, marks the third time the airline has organized a chartered flight to bring athletes to Pokhara for significant events.
The Second Dragon Boat Festival will take place at Fewa Lake, where teams from China (8 teams), Singapore (1 team), and Nepal (11 teams) will compete. This festival has become a key international sporting event in Pokhara, attracting global participation.
This is not the first time Sichuan Airlines has facilitated the travel of Chinese athletes to Pokhara. A similar chartered flight brought participants to the previous Dragon Boat Festival, and Sichuan Airlines also flew athletes in for the Cross-Country Running competition held in Kartik (October) in Pokhara.
The Sichuan Airlines flight will depart from Pokhara Airport and head to Kathmandu, where a delegation of 120 businesspeople and journalists will disembark. They are scheduled to hold a press conference regarding international flights from Pokhara Airport, and will push for government action to facilitate more international flights to the region.
This event not only showcases Pokhara’s growing international appeal as a sporting destination but also strengthens the ongoing efforts to enhance the city’s aviation connectivity, which has become a key issue for the local business and tourism community.
