List of Airlines in Nepal

If you have the contact details of an Airline not listed above in Nepal, then do please contact me.

The following pages will help if you are arriving into Kathmandu Airport or if you are departing from Kathmandu Airport.

Pokhara International and  Gautam Buddha International Airport

Pokhara International Airport is nearing completion. There are no international flights to it at the moment and none announced.

Gautam Buddha International Airport was completed in 2022. Some regional flights are using the airport. There are less than a handful of flights using the airport. Most are domestic with only Jazeera Airways establishing an international flight path.

Unfortunately CAAN (Civil Airline Authority Nepal) has confused matters in late 2022 by ordering Nepal Airlines to transfer a certain amount of flights per week from Kathmandu airport to Gautam Buddha Airport. Likewise other airlines have also been asked to move flights.

The reality is most of these flights are transferring overseas workers from Nepal to the Middle East. Unfortunately the lines of communication are not clear and there is a fear random international tourist flights may also get diverted similarly to the Kathmandu-Lukla-Ramechhap flights since 2019.

Booking Domestic Flights in Nepal

Don't do it yourself! That's the best advice I can give for the next few years. Book your domestic flights via a travel company or trekking office in Nepal.

The reason for this is a simple one that has been proven over the past 10 years. While some domestic airlines are now offering online purchase of domestic flight tickets there are many hidden obstacles.

Flights are constantly being delayed or cancelled in Nepal due to weather issues etc.,. If this happens you'll need to deal with the domestic airline - meaning long queues or even longer phone calls. Refunds, new flights etc all take up a lot of your time and money. Travel agencies and trekking companies have accounts with domestic airlines and can change a flight within an hour or less. It's that simple.

Secondly, there's the issue on online credit card payments. Due to banking law that prohibits money leaving Nepal getting a refund can be a headache. The exception here is if the airline has an overseas office or bank account.

Thirdly, domestic airlines often advertise cheap fares, only upon reaching checkout do you get TAX, and a bevy of service charges added.

Finally, domestic airlines in Nepal are well known for offering cheap flights that are cancelled 24 hours before departure. Lukla flights are well known for this. Especially with the Manthali (Ramechhap) yearly change over. Trekkers book a flight in advance, and then 24 hours beforehand get an email saying the flight has been cancelled due to "airport changes". This then leaves you with no option but to hope there is another flight available, and you have enough funds to over it while you wait for your refund.

Again, I've seen it many times over the years, every year. And yes there will be exceptions to the rule. But by getting your domestic flights booked by a local travel or trekking company you will have one less thing to worry about instead of last minute confusion on your holiday.

Lukla Bound Flights Diverted to Ramechhap (Manthali Airport)

In 2019 CAAN ordered Lukla bound flights and return flights to be diverted to Ramechhap (Manthali Airport). Once again this was surrounded in confusion as the diverted flights were only to happen during peak tourist season. When they did occur they were random.

Today, this continues. All Everest / Lukla bound passengers should not book online for their Lukla bound flights during peak season. The reason for this is that since 2019 many have had their flights cancelled the week before arriving as the change over from Kathmandu to Ramechhap takes place leaving little or no time to make a new booking for Ramechhap to Lukla flights. Many of these flights are block booked by local travel agents. As such it is highly advisable to book your flights through a local trekking agent as they can quickly change the flights if necessary.