Flydubai Pokhara–Dubai Flights Start Sept 23, 2026 — Daily Direct to the Annapurnas

For decades, almost every international visitor to Nepal has funneled through a single airport in Kathmandu. That is about to change for the west of the country. From 23 September 2026, flydubai will run daily direct flights between Dubai and Pokhara — the first daily scheduled international service at Pokhara International Airport, and a genuine turning point for the Annapurna region.

The route opens days after the Kathmandu–Pokhara highway reopened to two-way traffic on 17 September, following an 18-day closure at Krishnabhir — see the autumn 2026 Nepal trekking briefing for what that combination means.

Why this is a big deal

Pokhara is the staging post for the Annapurna Circuit, Annapurna Base Camp, Mardi Himal, Poon Hill and Mustang. Until now, a trekker flying in from Europe, the Middle East, Africa or India had to land in Kathmandu, then take a domestic flight or a long drive to reach the trailhead. A direct international arrival into Pokhara removes an entire leg of the journey — you can step off the plane and be at your lakeside lodge within the hour, with the Annapurnas filling the skyline.

One ticket from 300 airports

The Dubai connection is the clever part. Through flydubai's codeshare with Emirates, Pokhara is suddenly plugged into a network of more than 300 airports worldwide via a single hub. Passengers get one ticket, through-checked baggage and one connection, whether they are starting in London, Lagos or Lahore.

It is a long time coming. Pokhara International Airport opened on 1 January 2023, built with a loan of about US$216 million from China’s Exim Bank and a runway sized for jets from the Gulf. For three years it mostly handled domestic hops from Kathmandu. flydubai is no newcomer to Nepal: it has flown to Kathmandu since 2009 and says it has carried about four million passengers there. Launch fares start at AED 1,900 in Economy from Dubai (AED 5,000 in Business), and NPR 91,000 from Pokhara (NPR 190,000 in Business).

Good timing for the autumn season

The first flight, FZ1165, leaves Dubai at 12:00 on 23 September and lands in Pokhara at 18:15; the return, FZ1166, leaves Pokhara at 19:15 and reaches Dubai at 22:00, according to flydubai. The aircraft is a Boeing 737. The launch date is no accident. Late September is the start of Nepal's premier autumn trekking window, when the monsoon clears and the mountain air turns crisp and clear. Trekkers who book the new route can arrive directly into Pokhara just as the Annapurna trails hit their best conditions of the year, skipping the Kathmandu transfer entirely.

It also eases a real bottleneck. Kathmandu's Tribhuvan International handles all of Nepal's long-haul traffic on one runway, and peak-season congestion there is a well-known headache. Sending a daily flow of network passengers straight into Pokhara spreads the pressure and helps the whole system breathe.

Two cities, two doors

Paired with the new Kathmandu–Shenzhen link, the Pokhara–Dubai route is part of a clear 2026 pattern: Nepal is widening its front doors. For the Annapurna region specifically, having its own international gateway is a structural shift that should pay off for years — more visitors, shorter journeys, and a far easier sell to travellers who once found Nepal logistically daunting.

Sources: flydubai; Khabarhub; Travel And Tour World; IndexBox; Nepal Tourism Board.

Cover photo: sagar sintan via Pexels (Pexels License).