Nepal Airlines to launch Guangzhou flights

Nepal’s national flag carrier, Nepal Airlines, will begin flights to Guangzhou, one of China’s three largest cities and a bustling business hub in the heart of Asia, from next week, marking a milestone more than a decade and a half after it first applied for landing permits.

The promotional flights are beginning with two flights on September 25 and 28 to Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport. The one-way promotional fare for the 4-hour 30-minute journey has been set at NRs 30,000, while a return ticket will cost NRs 50,000. The flight will depart from Kathmandu at 10 pm local time and land at Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport at 4:30 am local time.

From October, the airline plans to launch three weekly flights on Sundays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays. This is Nepal Airlines’ first scheduled service to China.

Nepal Airlines previously operated flights to Osaka, Japan, via Shanghai until 2008 under fifth freedom rights, which allow an airline to carry passengers from its own country to a second country and then onwards to a third country without needing additional permits.

Meanwhile, six Chinese carriers—Air China, China Southern, China Eastern, Sichuan Airlines, Cathay Dragon, and Tibet Airlines were already operating flights to Nepal.