KATHMANDU: The Nepali government has approved a sweeping package of fee waivers to encourage international airlines to operate regular flights from Pokhara International Airport and Gautam Buddha International Airport in Bhairahawa, two multi-billion-rupee airports that have struggled to attract sustained international traffic.

A Cabinet meeting on Wednesday decided to waive parking, landing and air navigation charges in full for scheduled international flights operating from the two airports until mid-September 2028. Airlines will also receive a 50 percent discount on ground handling fees.

Government spokesperson and Minister for Education and Sports Sasmit Pokharel said the incentives are intended to boost tourism and increase the utilization of the two international airports, which have remained significantly underused since their inauguration.

Gautam Buddha International Airport, built at a cost of around Rs 40 billion, began commercial international operations in May 2022, while the Rs 22 billion Pokhara International Airport was inaugurated in January 2023.

Despite the investment, neither airport has been able to sustain regular international services. Several airlines—including Jazeera Airways, flydubai, Thai AirAsia, Qatar Airways and Nepal Airlines—operated flights from Bhairahawa for brief periods before suspending services, while Himalaya Airlines’ Pokhara–Lhasa route was discontinued in 2025.

Currently, neither airport has regular scheduled international passenger flights. However, flydubai is set to launch daily Dubai–Pokhara flights from September 23, raising hopes that the government’s incentives could help revive international operations.

Officials believe the fee waivers will improve the commercial viability of flights, although challenges such as limited demand, technical air route issues and the lack of an agreement on the use of Indian airspace continue to affect airline interest.