Thai AirAsia to Operate Bangkok-Bhairahawa Flights Four Days a Week

The Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal has granted Thai AirAsia permission to operate flights between Bangkok and Bhairahawa four days a week, starting from Thursday. Thai AirAsia, headquartered in Bangkok, had initially requested daily flight permission to Nepal, but the authority has approved flights to Bhairahawa and Tribhuvan International Airport three days a week.

A deputy director general of the Civil Aviation Authority stated, “Thai AirAsia asked for daily flight permission for Nepal. Flight permission has been granted to Bhairahawa and Tribhuvan International Airport three days a week.” The proposal, which went through the ‘Aviation Safety and Security Regulation’ Directorate and Tribhuvan International Airport Administration, was approved by Director General Pradeep Adhikari.

Thai AirAsia will provide a flight schedule from 2 pm to 3 pm at Tribhuvan International Airport. The authority has confirmed that the requested time slot for Bhairahawa will be provided to Thai AirAsia.

Thai AirAsia, operating with a fleet of 58 aircraft, has appointed Universal Tours and Travels as its General Sales Agent (GSA) in Nepal. Previously, AirAsia, an investor in Thai AirAsia, had ceased operations in Nepal but owed 270 million NPR to the Nepal Civil Aviation Authority. Airport General Manager Jagannath Niraula mentioned that this outstanding amount was settled through a bank guarantee after Thai AirAsia’s arrival. “We have received a bank guarantee to pay 270 million as principal and interest in 24 installments,” he said. Consequently, the Civil Aviation Authority has now granted Thai AirAsia permission to fly in Nepal.

During the tenure of former Tourism Minister Hit Bahadur Tamang, Thai AirAsia applied for flight operations. The recent decision to grant permission was made on Thursday after the proposal was reviewed by the authorities and subordinate offices through the ministry. Established 20 years ago, Thai AirAsia, a budget carrier, has been operating flights from Bangkok to various Asian countries, including India, Hong Kong, China, Cambodia, Singapore, Vietnam, Indonesia, Laos, and Sri Lanka.

Thailand ranks as the eighth country with the most tourists visiting Nepal, with 25,000 tourists arriving in 2023. According to the Nepal Tourism Board, most of these tourists are Buddhists. The authority expects an increase in tourism traffic from Thailand with Thai AirAsia’s new flight operations.

Meanwhile, no decision has been made on the proposal from Air India Express, which requested flight permission to operate three daily flights from cities including Delhi to Kathmandu. An official from the Directorate of Flights stated, “In the coming days, we have asked the airline companies that offer to fly to Nepal to seek permission to cover flights to Bhairahawa and Pokhara as well. Similarly, airlines with more than two General Sales Agents (GSAs) will be encouraged to fly to Pokhara and Bhairahawa.” Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli has instructed the secretaries to follow this directive.

The Bhairahawa Second International Airport was completed in 2079 BS, and then Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba inaugurated it. Kuwait’s Jazeera Airways became the first airline to operate regular international flights, but regular flights could not be maintained. According to Authority spokesperson Hansraj Pandey, Jazeera conducted a total of 110 flights to Bhairahawa. After Jazeera, Nepal and Chinese-invested Himalaya Airlines operated 68 two-way charter flights from Bhairahawa to Malaysia, which have also ceased. Since May last year, Nepal Airlines Corporation’s flight from Malaysia to Kathmandu has been landing at Tribhuvan International Airport once a week (Tuesday) with a touchdown at Bhairahawa.

In 2071 BS, then Prime Minister Sushil Koirala laid the foundation stone for the project to convert the domestic airport at Bhairahawa into an international airport. The Bhairahawa Airport, part of the National Pride project, was built at a cost of 35.66 billion NPR with support from the Asian Development Bank and other partners.