flydubai becomes first airline to launch scheduled international flights to Pokhara

• Pokhara marks flydubai’s second gateway in Nepal, offering travellers direct access to the country’s adventure tourism capital and the Annapurna Mountain range
• The new service brings flydubai’s weekly frequencies to Nepal to 35, further boosting passenger and cargo capacity
• The inaugural service marks a milestone for Nepal’s aviation sector, establishing Pokhara as the country’s third airport with scheduled international connectivity

Dubai, United Arab Emirates, 25 September 2026: flydubai has launched daily non-stop flights between Dubai International (DXB) and Pokhara International Airport (PHH), establishing the first direct air link between Dubai and Western Nepal.

Pokhara marks flydubai’s second destination in Nepal, alongside Kathmandu, offering travellers seamless access to the country’s adventure tourism capital and the principal gateway to the Annapurna Mountain range. The new route brings flydubai’s total weekly flights to Nepal to 35, complementing its four daily flights to Kathmandu and expanding its passenger and cargo capacity.

The airline has carried more than 4.5 million passengers to and from Kathmandu since 2009, with 65% of traffic connecting onto the flydubai and Emirates network via Dubai’s aviation hub. The expansion into Pokhara reflects flydubai’s commitment to enhancing connectivity to underserved markets and consolidating Dubai’s position as a global hub for travel, trade and tourism.

With the start of flights to Pokhara, flydubai has consolidated its position as the airline with the widest network between Dubai and South Asia, flying to 20 destinations across Afghanistan, Bangladesh, India, the Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka, with over 380 weekly flights to the region.

Sudhir Sreedharan, Divisional Senior Vice President of Commercial Operations at flydubai, said: “Nepal has long been an integral part of flydubai’s network. Since launching operations to Kathmandu 17 years ago, our objective has been to offer a direct and accessible link between the UAE and Nepal. With the launch of our daily flights to Pokhara, we are further strengthening that commitment by offering travellers a seamless, non-stop connection to the country’s tourism capital, and an entry point to one of South Asia’s most popular leisure and adventure destinations.”

“Our expansion into Pokhara will cater to the growing demand for direct and convenient access to Western Nepal. By offering a direct connection without multiple transfers or extended road journeys, we are making the journey simpler, more comfortable and more accessible for our customers. We extend our appreciation to the local authorities for the warm welcome we received, and look forward to welcoming passengers on board our flights to experience flydubai’s modern cabins, signature hospitality and wide range of dining and entertainment options,” added Sreedharan.

The inaugural flight departed from Terminal 3, DXB on 23 September and was greeted with a ceremonial water cannon salute upon arrival at Pokhara.

The new service operates under flydubai’s codeshare partnership with Emirates, offering passengers connecting to and from Pokhara seamless access to more than 140 destinations across Asia, Europe, and the Americas via Dubai, with the convenience of single-ticket booking and through-checked baggage. Popular connections from Nepal onto the flydubai network include Bucharest, Dammam, Jeddah, Muscat and Riyadh, while Larnaca, Lisbon, London, New York and Vienna continue to be amongst the top feeder markets from the Emirates network.

Flight details

From 23 September 2026, flights to Pokhara will operate daily from Terminal 3, Dubai International (DXB) with return Business Class fares from Dubai starting from AED 5,400 and Economy Class fares from AED 1,950. Return Business Class fares from Pokhara start from NPR 135,000 and Economy Class fares from NPR 80,500.

All Times Local

Flights are available for booking on flydubai.com, the official flydubai app, via the Contact Centre at (+971) 600 54 44 45, at flydubai travel shops, or through travel partners.

For the full timetable, please visit flydubai.com/en/flying-with-us/timetable.