In a bid to enhance regional connectivity, Bangladesh Airlines Air Astra is gearing up to launch direct flights from Dhaka to Pokhara International Airport. The airline aims to introduce a schedule of four weekly flights on this new route.
Air Astra applied for flight clearance from the Civil Aviation Authority approximately a month ago. According to spokesperson Gyanendra Bhul, the airline has also put forth requests for additional operational facilities alongside its flight permit.
These requests encompass discounts on landing fees, fuel taxes, parking charges, and the facilitation of transactions in Bangladeshi currency. Notably, the Civil Aviation Authority has already approved a 100% waiver on landing, parking, navigation, and associated fees for international airlines operating at Pokhara International Airport, effective since Poush 17, 2079. Furthermore, Nepal Airlines Corporation has offered a 50% discount on ground handling services.
Highlighting Air Astra’s ongoing negotiations, Bhul disclosed that the airline has proposed further reductions in fuel value-added taxes and landing-related parking fees upon arrival in Pokhara.
Air Astra has appointed Society International Travel Service Limited as its General Sales Agent (GSA) for managing operations in Pokhara. Santosh Bikram Rana, head of GSA, expressed optimism about the prospects of international flights to Pokhara, emphasizing that competitive promotional fares could attract a broader range of airlines to the burgeoning airport.
Rana underscored the critical role of such incentives in ensuring the sustainability of operations at Pokhara International Airport, drawing parallels with successful strategies implemented at other new airport facilities worldwide.
Pending the resolution of negotiations, Rana suggested that ticket sales through Society International Travel’s website could commence within three to seven days of finalizing agreements.
Upon commencement of services, Air Astra will become the pioneer airline to offer regularly scheduled flights from Pokhara International Airport, previously primarily serving international chartered flights. Additional carriers, such as Buddha Air and Himalaya Airlines, have also expressed keen interest in establishing regular international flights from Pokhara, promising to bolster connectivity and tourism opportunities at the growing hub.
