From 23 September 2026 you can fly from Dubai straight to Pokhara. flydubai runs the route daily into Pokhara International Airport — the first daily scheduled international service there — so people from Kaski and the rest of Gandaki no longer have to land in Kathmandu and carry on by road or a domestic flight. Here is the schedule, what it costs, what the baggage rules mean if you are bringing things home, and the airport-code mix-up that makes the flight hard to find on booking sites.
The short version
What you need to know before you book.
- Daily from 23 September 2026: FZ1165 leaves Dubai at 12:00 and lands in Pokhara at 18:15; FZ1166 leaves Pokhara at 19:15 and lands in Dubai at 22:00. About 4 hours 30 minutes each way.
- It leaves from Dubai Terminal 3 and is also sold as an Emirates codeshare.
- Pokhara International Airport is PHH. Many booking sites still show Pokhara as PKR, the old domestic airport, so the nonstop can be missing from their results.
- The cheapest fare type, Lite, has no checked baggage. Bringing anything home? Book Value (20 kg) or Flex (30 kg).
- Nepal's aviation authority first approved the route for one month, provisionally. It launched on time on 23 September 2026 — the first scheduled international service Pokhara airport has had — with 113 passengers in and 153 out on the opening day. flydubai says it will continue if the route works for it.
- Tourists can get a visa on arrival at Pokhara International Airport.
Dubai–Pokhara flight schedule
flydubai flies the route every day on a Boeing 737 MAX 8. Times are local: Dubai is 1 hour 45 minutes behind Nepal, which is why a 4½-hour flight leaving at noon lands at 18:15.
| Flight | Departs | Arrives |
|---|---|---|
| FZ1165 | Dubai (DXB, Terminal 3) 12:00 | Pokhara (PHH) 18:15 |
| FZ1166 | Pokhara (PHH) 19:15 | Dubai (DXB) 22:00 |
Ticket prices and baggage
When flydubai announced the route in June 2026, return fares started from AED 1,900 in Economy Lite from Dubai and NPR 91,000 from Pokhara, and from AED 5,000 and NPR 190,000 in Business. Prices move with demand, so treat these as a starting point; festival weeks such as Dashain and Tihar are always dearer.
The fare type matters more than the headline price. flydubai's Lite fare includes only hand baggage; on its standard allowances Value includes 20 kg checked and Flex 30 kg — confirm on the fare you pick. Adding a bag later costs more than choosing the right fare at the start.
Flying home with luggage, gifts or a TV? Don't book Lite just because it is cheapest — with no checked bag, you pay for every kilo. Check what Nepal Customs lets you bring duty-free in our baggage and customs guide.
Why the flight is hard to find: PHH, not PKR
Pokhara has two airports. The old domestic airport is PKR; the new Pokhara International Airport, opened in 2023, is PHH, and that is the one flydubai uses. Several booking and comparison sites still list Pokhara under PKR, so a search can show only connections through Kathmandu, or nothing.
For the nonstop, search flydubai or Emirates directly and check that the arrival airport shows as Pokhara International (PHH). The fare search on this page compares the other option — flying into Kathmandu — which is worth checking against.
Pokhara or Kathmandu: which is better for you?
If home is in Kaski, Syangja, Tanahun, Parbat, Baglung, Myagdi or nearby, flying into Pokhara saves the whole Kathmandu–Pokhara leg — a long day by road, or a domestic flight with its own baggage limit and weather delays. That is time and money most people underestimate.
Kathmandu still has far more flights from the Gulf, on more airlines, so its fares can be lower — especially around festivals, when the Pokhara flight may fill first. Compare the total: the Pokhara fare against the Kathmandu fare plus your onward journey and a night's stay if you arrive late.
One caution: the route started on a one-month provisional approval, so it is flying but not yet proven. For important dates such as a wedding or Dashain, keep an eye on flydubai's updates after booking.
Arriving at Pokhara International Airport
Tourists can get a visa on arrival at Pokhara International Airport at the same fees as in Kathmandu: USD 30 for 15 days, USD 50 for 30 days and USD 125 for 90 days. If you plan to use Nepal's online eTA instead, confirm it is accepted at Pokhara before relying on it — official information so far only describes the process at Kathmandu.
Nepal's customs allowances are the same at every airport, so the duty-free limits for gold, phones and TVs apply in Pokhara too. The new airport is a few kilometres from the old domestic one, and some domestic flights may still use the old airport — check which one your onward ticket shows.