Tuesday, August 20, 2024 Nepal new international airports, backed by government concessions, hold strategic importance, promising long-term economic growth and increased tourism. Following the Government of Nepal’s declaration of various fee concessions and tax waivers, several international airlines are gearing up to commence flights to the recently inaugurated Gautam Buddha International Airport (GBIA) and Pokhara Regional International Airport (PRIA). Airlines planning to begin operations at GBIA include Himalaya Airlines, Jazeera Airways, Wizz Air, Air Arabia, and Thai AirAsia.
Additionally, Air Astra and Druk Air are preparing to launch services at PRIA. The Gautam Buddha International Airport (GBIA) was inaugurated on May 16, 2022, marking the birth anniversary of Lord Gautam Buddha. Initially, Jazeera Airways and Himalaya Airlines operated international flights from this airport; however, these services were discontinued after a few months due to low passenger numbers and high operational costs.
Currently, Nepal Airlines Corporation maintains a weekly flight from Kuala Lumpur to GBIA. Although Pokhara Regional International Airport (PRIA) officially commenced operations on January 1, 2023, it has yet to see regular international flights apart from a few chartered ones. In a recent bid to attract more international airlines to these airports, the Government of Nepal has introduced a series of incentives.
These include concessions on ticket prices and fuel, waiving of .