Due to PRIA’s lack of international flights, businessmen are afraid to make risky investments

Pokhara Regional International Airport (PRIA) has been in service for two years. On the first day of 2023, the airport was officially opened. Only domestic flights have been able to use the airport during this time. Pokharel’s goal of directly connecting Pokhara to foreign locations via air has not yet been realized. For Pokhara, the first scheduled international flight is still a goal.

Soon after Pokhara’s international airport was constructed, businessmen had great expectations. They had high hopes that it would boost foreign tourism by providing Pokhara with direct access to other countries. The governor of the province of Gandaki even urged businesspeople to invest in the tourism industry, claiming that the international airport would double the number of foreign tourists and that new hotels in Pokhara would require additional funding to handle the surge.

Pokhara and the entire Gandaki Province were extremely enthusiastic due to the provincial government’s encouragement and the airport’s construction gaining steam, and as a result, investments rose. But even after two years, that hope has not come true. When the airport will start operating international flights is yet unknown. The businessmen have been pleading with ministers, prime ministers, and other high-ranking political figures for frequent flights from PRIA for the past two years, but their requests have gone unanswered.

In the last two years, the airport has hosted 11 international flights, including relief, charter, and demo flights. But there are no indications of frequent flights.

“PRIA has been in business for two years. However, Gyanendra Bhul, the deputy spokesperson for the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN), stated that it is impossible to predict when regular foreign flights will begin.

The date of Himalaya Airlines’ once-weekly trip from Lhasa, China, to Pokhara has not yet been set, according to the CAAN. Plans for a number of foreign flights to Pokhara were previously announced, however these airlines have not yet begun service.

When traveling to a destination, any international airline considers the commercial viability. It is not feasible to conduct flights since Pokhara has not verified its commercial potential,” a CAAN official in Pokhara stated, adding that Pokhara has to verify its commercial capacity. Only when Pokhara is certain that there will be enough passengers for every flight can flights restart.

According to tourism businesses, investments will be at danger if Pokhara’s goal of linking to other nations via international flights is not realized. The province government of Gandaki promised that the airport would be constructed on schedule and that international flights would be available, but this has not happened, according to tourism entrepreneur Pom Narayan Shrestha.

In Pokhara, work on building an international airport got underway. Businessmen were also urged to invest by the province administration, which stated that after the airport was constructed, tourism infrastructure should be prepared. Following the province government’s declaration that flights will undoubtedly be accessible, we also boosted our investment,” Shrestha, director of Pokhara Ultralight Company, a Pokhara-based airline, stated. Nevertheless, no foreign flights have taken place two years following the airport’s opening. It’s been two years in vain. He declared, “We cannot afford to wait any longer.”

According to Shrestha, the government ought to stop postponing routine international flights. If not, businessmen’s investment will lose value. According to him, tourism entrepreneurs boosted their investments in lodging, dining, and adventure sports following guarantees from the federal and provincial governments.

“The facilities for lodging and dining establishments were also established by the time the airport was prepared. “But, flights did not take place,” he stated, adding that “if this situation continues, many businessmen will go bankrupt.” “If even Nepal Airlines, the flag carrier, operates regular flights from Pokhara, Pokhara can breathe a sigh of relief,” he remarked.

He claims that there is no passenger shortage on flights from Pokhara to places like Thailand, Malaysia, India, Dubai, and Doha.

Additionally, he said Pokhara would provide attractive packages to entice travelers to take flights from Pokhara.

Taranath Pahari, the chairman of the Pokhara Tourism Council (PTC), added that no firm plan exists to run the airport.

He stated that unless the requirement to travel to the federal capital for documentation purposes is resolved, flights from Pokhara cannot be operated.

“Going to Kathmandu for government approval is still required. The number of passengers will rise if the provincial government offers those services from Pokhara. In addition, international marketing is required,” he stated.

“Because everyone wants to fly from Kathmandu only, this situation continues,” he said, adding that the state has no alternative but to force airlines to divert to Pokhara and Bhairahawa in order to reduce the load capacity of Kathmandu airport.