CB Adhikari
Kathmandu, Nov 9: Gautam Buddha International Airport, Nepal’s second international airport located in Lumbini, has started witnessing a surge in international flights. After a long wait since its construction, three international airlines – Nepal Airlines, Jazeera Airways, and FlyDubai – are now operating flights from the airport.
According to the airport’s General Manager, Pratap Babu Tiwari, marks the first time that three international flights will operate simultaneously, a significant increase in the number of flights since the airport’s inauguration. “This is the first time that such a large number of flights are operating after the inauguration of Gautam Buddha Airport. This will lead to an increase in commercial flights and attract more passengers,” he said.
Nepal Airlines and Jazeera Airways are resuming their flights, while FlyDubai is operating its first-ever flight to Gautam Buddha International Airport. With these new services, the number of airlines operating regular international flights from the airport has now reached four.
In addition, Thai AirAsia has also resumed flights between Lumbini and Bangkok, with its second flight on 9 November. The airline began commercial flights on 18 October and is operating flights twice a week, on Mondays and Thursdays. The airport also mentioned that Qatar Airways is preparing to start flights soon.
Flight schedule and operations
According to the flight schedule, Jazeera Airways’ flight will land in Lumbini from Kuwait at 7:30 AM today, and the same plane will return to Kuwait at 8:30 AM. The airline had suspended its flights from Lumbini for about 10 months but is now resuming operations. Jazeera will operate flights three days a week – Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday.
FlyDubai’s flight will also land for the first time at Gautam Buddha Airport at 12:00 PM today. After picking up passengers from Lumbini, the plane will return to Dubai via Kathmandu. FlyDubai will operate daily flights between Dubai, Lumbini, and Kathmandu.
Nepal Airlines’ flights to Dubai and Kuala Lumpur
Nepal Airlines, based at Gautam Buddha International Airport, will operate flights to Kuala Lumpur and Dubai. Due to technical reasons, Nepal Airlines rescheduled a flight from Friday to Saturday. The airline will operate flights from Kathmandu to Lumbini before departing for Dubai. Nepal Airlines will operate one flight weekly from Kuala Lumpur to Lumbini every Tuesday, starting at 7:00 AM.
Jazeera Airways initially began flights from Lumbini in 2079BS but had to suspend services due to technical issues. Now, with the resumption of international flights, FlyDubai has also begun operating flights to and from Lumbini, with plans to run regular services between Dubai, Lumbini, and Kathmandu. The airport’s authorities have confirmed that other airlines are also showing interest in starting flights to the region.
Airport upgrades and future plans
The airport’s management has reported that preparations for the smooth operation of international flights are in full swing. This includes upgrading immigration, customs, and security services. According to the airport authorities, the immigration department now has 21 passenger service counters, and automation systems are fully in place to manage passenger flow.
Meanwhile, the Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA) in Kathmandu has begun upgrading works, which has led to increased international flight operations at Gautam Buddha Airport. The Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN) announced that it will close the Kathmandu airport for 10 hours daily starting 23 October for about five months to carry out terminal upgrades, including the construction of parallel taxiways, an international apron, and a new hangar.
The government is focused on fully operationalizing both Gautam Buddha International Airport and Pokhara International Airport. The completion of these upgrades is expected to further boost international travel in the region. As part of this initiative, the government is offering attractive packages and incentives for airlines to operate from these airports. #airlines #nepal
