Dubai’s national carrier, Fly Dubai, is set to begin daily flights to Nepal’s Gautam Buddha International Airport (GBIA) in Bhairahawa from November 9 (Kartik 25). The airline has opened bookings for the Dubai-Bhairahawa-Kathmandu route, marking its expansion in Nepal. Universal Tours and Travels, the General Sales Agent (GSA) for Fly Dubai in Nepal, will handle all bookings and inquiries.
According to Pratap Babu Tiwari, the General Manager of GBIA, Fly Dubai’s flights will land in Bhairahawa at 1:45 PM and in Kathmandu at 2:45 PM. After a one-hour technical stop in Kathmandu, the aircraft will continue its journey back to Dubai. The airline has received authorization to disembark passengers in Bhairahawa and pick up international travelers heading to Dubai after a brief stop in Kathmandu.
This marks Fly Dubai’s inaugural flight to GBIA, and the service will operate seven days a week. With the addition of this new route, Fly Dubai now flies to 113 destinations in 53 countries. Recently, the airline’s operations team also visited GBIA to assess the airport’s facilities.
Tiwari credited this achievement to the special directives of the Prime Minister, the support of the Minister of Culture, Tourism, and Civil Aviation, the initiative of the Chief Secretary, and the coordination between the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN) and Fly Dubai’s representative, Universal Tours and Travels.
In related news, Jazeera Airways is also resuming flights to GBIA starting November 6 (Kartik 12), after a 10-month hiatus. Jazeera Airways will operate three flights per week—on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays—arriving in Bhairahawa at 7:30 AM and departing for Kuwait at 8:30 AM. The airline had previously started operations at GBIA on May 16, 2022, but suspended services after 10 months due to technical reasons.
Additionally, Thai Air Asia has expressed interest in launching flights to GBIA soon. The airline’s technical team recently visited the airport as part of their preparation.
This surge in international flights to GBIA aligns with the government’s strategic plan to fully operationalize Nepal’s two international airports: Gautam Buddha International Airport and Pokhara International Airport. According to Tiwari, preparations for immigration, customs, and security services are complete, ensuring smooth operations for international carriers. The government is committed to executing its plan to enhance the capacity and utilization of these airports, with more international airlines expected to begin flights soon.
Fly Dubai and other airlines’ expansion to GBIA is seen as a significant boost to Nepal’s tourism and international connectivity, offering more options for travelers and facilitating economic growth in the region.
Source: RSS
