During his visit to India, Nepal’s Minister for Culture, Tourism, and Civil Aviation, Badri Prasad Pandey, engaged in discussions with his Indian counterparts about expanding air travel routes between the two nations.
The discussions took place on the sidelines of the second ministerial conference of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) for the Asia-Pacific region, currently being held in New Delhi. Minister Pandey met with Indian Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarapu to explore the possibility of establishing additional air entry points and direct flights between various cities of Nepal and India.
During the meeting, Minister Pandey highlighted the recent operationalization of three international airports in Nepal, including Pokhara and Gautam Buddha International Airports. He urged the Indian side to consider increasing direct flights from Indian cities to these Nepali cities, given the rapid growth of the Indian aviation sector. He also requested the Indian authorities to set up the necessary mechanisms for regional and international flights from these airports.
Minister Pandey emphasized Pokhara’s development as a tourist hub and noted the growing influx of Indian religious tourists visiting Muktinath after Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit. He suggested promoting direct flights from various Indian cities to Pokhara International Airport.
In a separate meeting with the Indian Minister of Culture and Tourism, Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, Pandey reiterated his request for direct flights to Pokhara and Gautam Buddha International Airport. Shekhawat supported strengthening cultural and civilizational connections between the two countries through effective communication and easier travel.
The meetings also included discussions on renewing and enhancing the cultural cooperation agreement between Nepal and India, which had expired. Additionally, the ministers explored opportunities for cultural and intellectual exchanges between institutions in both countries.
On the sidelines of the ICAO conference, Minister Pandey provided updates on Nepal’s policy reforms in aviation security and legal improvements, including separating service providers from regulatory bodies. He also briefed representatives from the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) on these developments.
Minister Pandey’s visit included meetings with South Korea’s Deputy Minister of Civil Aviation, Land, and Infrastructure, Jo Jong-eon, and Vietnam’s Deputy Minister of Transport, Li An Tuan, to discuss establishing direct air connections. Furthermore, he met with Japan’s State Minister for Land, Infrastructure, Transport, and Tourism, Konosuke Kokubun, to discuss increasing bilateral cooperation in aviation, tourism, infrastructure development, education, health, and human resource development.
Minister Pandey informed that preparations are underway to facilitate direct flights from Vietnam, Japan, and South Korea to Nepal, with necessary arrangements being made by the government.
