Nepal Airlines (RA, Kathmandu) and Himalaya Airlines (H9, Kathmandu) are set to launch flights to China after the Chinese and Nepalese authorities signed a Memorandum of Understanding to significantly increase air connectivity between the two countries.
According to the English-language daily My Republica, the Nepalese Embassy in Beijing said in a statement that the countries had agreed to expand the number of weekly return services between them to 84, including 21 frequencies reserved for the future Bhairahawa Gautam Buddha Airport and Pokhara International New Airport.
The ch-aviation capacities module shows that there are currently 48 weekly scheduled flights between Nepal and China. Services from five destinations in China to Kathmandu are operated exclusively by Chinese airlines.
The new agreement paves the way for the Nepalese carriers to enter China. The Chinese authorities agreed to expedite the issuance of permits for Nepal Airlines to fly to Guangzhou and for Himalaya Airlines to operate to Beijing Daxing International.
China also agreed to allow Nepalese airlines to use Shiquanhe Ngari Gunsa Airport, a dual-use military and civil facility located in the southwest of China's Tibet Autonomous Region near the Indian border, as a technical stop during sightseeing flights over the Himalayas.
