Which airlines fly to Kathmandu, Nepal? Kathmandu, the thriving capital of the Himalayan State of Nepal, pulls in thousands of visitors annually with its inimitable urban bustle, captivating culture, and awe-inspiring attractions. Whether you are looking for a grand adventure or willing to experience outstanding Nepalese hospitality, Kathmandu has the magic to enthrall every visitor it receives. Tribhuvan International Airport (KTM) is the main gateway to this bustling metropolis, situated 5.6 km east of Kathmandu. As a primary international gateway, KTM Airport links the landlocked country to over 40 destinations in 17 countries through several regular scheduled and charter flights operated by over 20 airlines in this airport. Which airlines fly to Kathmandu, Nepal?
Before knowing which airlines fly to Kathmandu, let’s take a closer look at the international airlines based at Kathmandu Airport.
Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA) is the fortress hub of the state-owned flag carrier Nepal Airlines and a private Nepalese carrier Himalaya Airlines. Nepal Airlines operates a fleet of 4 Airbus aircraft (2 A320s and 2 A330s) from its main base at KTM Airport to provide medium-haul services in Asia, including Hong Kong, Bangalore, Delhi, Mumbai, Tokyo, Kuala Lumpur, Bangkok, Dubai, etc. A minimum of five international flights operated by Nepal Airlines take off from Kathmandu daily.
Similarly, the fast-growing Himalaya Airlines flies a humble fleet of 1 Airbus A319-100 and 3 A320-200s to provide passenger flights to prominent countries in the Middle East & South Asia. Within seven years of foundation, Himalaya Airlines has established itself as a trusted airline of choice and expanded its network to Doha, Dammam, Riyadh, Dubai, Kuala Lumpur, and Kuwait sectors.
Which airlines fly to Kathmandu, Nepal?
Apart from Nepal Airlines and Himalaya Airlines (which are anchor airlines of Tribhuvan Airport), several other international airlines fly to Kathmandu Airport. Let’s take a closer look at major airlines that fly to Kathmandu, Nepal.
1. Qatar Airways (QR)
One of the major airlines flying to Kathmandu, Nepal, is Qatar Airways, the state-owned flag carrier of Qatar. The award-winning airline operates daily scheduled flights to KTM from its base at Hamad International Airport (DOH). Although three airlines, i.e., Qatar Airways, Nepal Airlines, and Himalaya Airlines, compete on the DOH-KTM route, the Persian Gulf carrier maintains the strongest presence in this sector with a total of four daily flights. The five-star airline operates DOH-KTM service as:
- QR648: Depart DOH at 00:50 and arrive in KTM at 07:50 local time
- QR652: Depart DOH at 02:05 and arrive in KTM at 9: 05 local time
- QR646: Depart DOH at 09:15 and arrive in KTM at 16:45 local time
- QR648: Depart DOH at 18: 15 and arrive in KTM at 01:15 the next day
The flagship Qatari carrier deploys state-of-the-art aircraft like Boeing 787-8 and Airbus A330-300 between Hamad International Airport and Tribhuvan Airport to cover a distance of 4 hours and 15 minutes.
2. IndiGo Airlines (6E)
The largest carrier in India, IndiGo, is a prominent carrier flying to Kathmandu daily from Delhi, the capital city of India. The fast-growing low-cost carrier IndiGo operates three daily, nonstop flights connecting Indira Gandhi International Airport (DEL) to Tribhuvan International Airport. The nonstop flight schedule of IndiGo on the DEL-KTM route is published as follows:
Flight no Departure time Arrival time
6E 045 07:40 09:35
6E031 11:00 12:55
6E033 13:30 15:30
The nonstop service between Delhi and Kathmandu usually entails a flight duration of 1 hour and 40 minutes (one-way).
The Gurgaon-headquartered IndiGo also operates a once-daily flight from Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (BOM) to Kathmandu. IndiGo flight number 6E1916 departs from Mumbai at 10:25 and arrives in KTM at 13:10 local time every day, completing a 2-hour 30 minutes journey.
3. Air Arabia (G9)
Which airlines fly to Kathmandu, Nepal, from Sharjah? The Emirati low-cost airline Air Arabia is the only carrier offering direct flight service from Sharjah International Airport (SHJ) to Kathmandu. The UAE-based Air Arabia operates three nonstop flights per day on the SHJ-KTM route, completing the one-way journey in 3 hours and 55 minutes. The earliest flight, i.e., G9536, leaves SHJ at 03:40 local time and touches down at KTM at 09:20. The other flight, G9530 has a departure time of 14:10 and the arrival time of 19:50. Furthermore, there is an overnight flight, leaving Sharjah at 20:25 local time and landing in Kathmandu at 02: 05 am the next day.
In addition to the Sharjah-Kathmandu route, Air Arabia also operates direct service on the Abu Dhabi-Kathmandu sector departing Abu Dhabi International Airport (AUH) at 08:55 and landing in Kathmandu at 14: 40 local time. Air Arabia’s direct flight from AUH to KTM takes around 4 hours.
4. Cathay Pacific (CX)
Before the coronavirus pandemic, Cathay Dragon, the regional subsidiary of Cathay Pacific, used to operate the Hong Kong-Kathmandu route. As the health crisis brought air travel to a grinding halt, Cathay Dragon ceased its operations in October 2020 to cut financial costs. After nearly three years of suspension, Cathay Pacific launched direct flights on the HKG-KTM route on October 1. The flag carrier of Hong Kong, Cathay Pacific, operates flight CX 603 which takes off from Hong Kong International Airport at 19:25 and arrives in Kathmandu at 22: 35, with a flight duration of 5 hours and 25 minutes. Cathay Pacific deploys its wide-body Airbus A330-300 aircraft to fly to Kathmandu, Nepal, which is configured with a two-class cabin layout featuring spacious Business and standard economy class. Besides Cathay Pacific, the flagship carrier Nepal Airlines also serves the HKG-KTM sector directly.
5. Singapore Airlines (SQ)
Touted as the world’s best carrier, Singapore Airlines has an impactful presence in Kathmandu, Nepal, as it operates three weekly flights (Sunday, Monday, and Wednesday) from its hub at Singapore Changi Airport (SIN) to Kathmandu Airport. The Singapore Airlines flight SQ440 operates the SIN-KTM flight with a departure time set at 10:20 and an arrival time of 13: 25. Singapore’s flagship airline deploys Boeing 737-800 on this route which has the capacity to carry 162 passengers in a two-class configuration (12 business and 150 economy). Stepping off the 4-hour 45 minutes-flight to Kathmandu allows you to immerse yourself in the warmth and sincerity of Nepalese culture that is genuine and heartfelt.
6. Flydubai (FZ)
If you are searching for ‘Which airlines fly to Kathmandu’ from Dubai at an affordable price; the answer is Flydubai. Flydubai, the Emirati government-owned budget carrier, is a significant carrier serving Kathmandu, Nepal, with a handful of nonstop flights daily. Currently, the Dubai-based low-cost carrier flies four times to Kathmandu from Dubai International Airport (DXB). Every day, Kathmandu Airport receives FlyDubai flights as:
FZ 587: DXB (01: 45) to KTM (07:20 am), flight duration- 3 hours 50min
FZ 539: DXB (08: 15) to KTM (14: 00 pm), flight duration-4 hours
FZ 575: DXB (12: 20) to KTM (18: 00 pm), flight duration-3 hours 55 min
FZ 573: DXB (18: 00) to KTM (23: 45 pm), flight duration-4 hours
FlyDubai deploys modern, fuel-efficient Boeing 737-800 configured in a two-class layout (Business and economy) on the Dubai-Kathmandu route.
7. Air India (AI)
The Tata Sons-owned Air India, which is also the flag carrier of India, operates a daily flight between Delhi and Kathmandu, competing against IndiGo, Vistara, and Nepal Airlines on this route. Flight AI215 performs the 1 hour 45m journey on the DEL-KTM route, with the departure and arrival time set at 12: 40 and 14: 40 local time, respectively.
8. Korean Air (KE)
Korean Air, the flag carrier and the largest airline in South Korea, is the only carrier that flies directly from Seoul to Kathmandu. Flight KE965 operates the Korean Air service on the Seoul-Kathmandu route, departing Incheon International Airport at 13: 25 and arriving in Kathmandu at 18:25. Passengers can fly onboard 248-seater Boeing B777-200 aircraft to arrive in the capital city of the Himalayan nation.
Other airlines flying to Kathmandu, Nepal
Apart from the airlines as mentioned above, Kathmandu Airport handles flights from several other carriers like Turkish Airlines, Salam Air, Biman Bangladesh, Sri Lankan Airlines, Malaysia Airlines, THAI Smile, Batik Air, Druk Air, Air India, Vistara, and Jazeera Airways.
Turkish Airlines operates a handful of weekly flights (irregularly, mostly on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays) between Istanbul and Kathmandu. The flight TK126, operated by Airbus A330-300, performs the nonstop 6 hours 50, minute journey from Istanbul Airport (IST) to Kathmandu (KTM).
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The Oman-based SalamAir flies to Kathmandu regularly from its base at Muscat International Airport; Biman Bangladesh serves Kathmandu from Dhaka; Sri Lankan Airlines offers direct service from Colombo-Bandaranaike to Kathmandu, and THAI Smile flies nonstop from Bangkok-Suvarnabhumi to the capital city of Nepal.
Kuwait-based Jazeera Airways operates daily flights to Kathmandu, taking off from Kuwait at 18:15 local time and arriving at Tribhuvan Airport at 01: 40 local time. The carrier also has expanded its Nepalese flights by adding Gautam Buddha International Airport, Bhairahawa, to its route network. A few chartered flights have also been operated from the UK. If you’re going to Winchester, United Kingdom and need the information about the storage units winchester, https://winchesterremovals.co.uk is the best site.
Which airlines will fly to Kathmandu in near future?
Thai Lion Air is resuming its Kathmandu service from Bangkok- Don Mueang on November 22, 2022, and the Indian carrier Vistara will add the Mumbai-Kathmandu service from November 15.
