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flydubai will start daily nonstop flights between Dubai International Airport and Pokhara International Airport on September 23, 2026, according to the airline’s June 11 newsroom announcement. The Dubai based carrier says it will be the first United Arab Emirates airline to fly the route, operating from Terminal 3 at Dubai International as part of its codeshare with Emirates.
Tickets are already on sale, so the practical choice is whether to fly straight into Nepal’s lakeside tourism hub instead of connecting through Kathmandu. Compare this new Pokhara arrival with other Gulf and South Asia options on Deep Arrival’s airlines hub, then decide if a Dubai connection is the cleaner itinerary for autumn trekking or a family visit.
- Start date: Daily service begins September 23, 2026, per flydubai’s newsroom.
- Airports: Dubai International Terminal 3 (DXB) to Pokhara International Airport (PHH).
- Flights: FZ 1165 leaves Dubai at 12:00 and arrives Pokhara at 18:15; FZ 1166 leaves Pokhara at 19:15 and arrives Dubai at 22:00, all local times.
- Product: Emirates codeshare with a single ticket and through baggage check-in.
- Fares named: Return Economy Class Lite from Dubai starts at AED 1,900; return Business Class starts at AED 5,000.
Daily Times From Dubai Terminal 3
flydubai’s published table is simple. Flight FZ 1165 departs Dubai at noon and lands in Pokhara at 18:15. The return, FZ 1166, leaves Pokhara at 19:15 and reaches Dubai at 22:00. Those times are local, and the pair is listed as daily from September 23.
The Dubai departure sits in Terminal 3, the same terminal Emirates uses for a large share of its long-haul network. That is not a trivia note. If you are connecting from Europe, the Gulf, or another flydubai city, Terminal 3 is the building you need to plan around, not Terminal 2 where some flydubai flights still operate.
The airline has flown Kathmandu since 2009 and says it has carried about four million passengers to Nepal. Seat capacity to the country has grown more than twelve times since that start, with Kathmandu rising to five daily flights in peak periods. Pokhara is the second Nepal city on the map, not a replacement for Kathmandu.
For a traveler already comparing Dubai stopovers, Deep Arrival’s things to do in Dubai guide is the right next tab if the connection leaves a half day on the ground. Do not assume every flydubai arrival feeds this Pokhara flight; check the live timetable on flydubai.com before you buy a tight same-day link.
Emirates Codeshare and Through Bags
flydubai says the Pokhara service is offered as part of its Emirates codeshare. That structure is meant to give passengers a single ticket, through check-in of baggage, and access to the combined network. The Himalayan Times, citing Pokhara International Airport general manager Jagannath Niraula, reports the same through-bag pitch: passengers would not need to collect luggage in Dubai before an onward Emirates flight.
Treat that as the advertised process, not a guarantee on every connecting airport. Through check-in still depends on the second flight being on the same ticket and on the destination country’s baggage rules. If you are self-connecting on two separate tickets, you are not in this codeshare product and you should plan to clear Dubai as a fresh departure.
Niraula told The Himalayan Times that booking for the Pokhara to Dubai pair was already open when the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal granted route permission on June 8, after a flydubai safety, security, and operations inspection of the airport. That independent confirmation matches the airline’s claim that tickets are on sale through flydubai.com, the app, the UAE contact centre, travel shops, and partners.
A Dubai layover can still be a lodging decision even when bags are tagged through. If the inbound arrives late and the Pokhara flight leaves at noon, a night near the airport or downtown may be the calmer plan. Deep Arrival’s where to stay in Dubai comparison is built for that area-by-area choice.
Fares, Cabins, and How to Book
flydubai published introductory return fares with the launch notice. From Dubai, Economy Class Lite starts at AED 1,900 and Business Class starts at AED 5,000. From Pokhara, Economy Class Lite starts at NPR 91,000 and Business Class starts at NPR 190,000. Those are starting prices, and they will move with demand as September 23 gets closer.
Book on flydubai.com, the official app, the UAE contact centre at +971 600 54 44 45, a travel shop, or an authorised partner. If you need the Emirates codeshare benefit, buy one itinerary that includes both airlines. The newsroom notice does not publish a seat map for FZ 1165 and FZ 1166, so confirm the cabin on the booking screen.
Lite fares trade a lower sticker price for tighter change rules and fewer extras. Read the fare family at checkout before you treat AED 1,900 as the total trip cost. Bags and seats can erase the gap on a trekking trip with bulky gear.
Pokhara Airport Finally Gets a Regular International Link
Pokhara International Airport opened in January 2023 as Nepal’s third international gateway. The Himalayan Times reports that flydubai’s Dubai service will be only the second regular international commercial operation from the airport. Himalaya Airlines launched a Pokhara to Lhasa route in March 2025, then suspended it because passenger numbers were too low.
For three years the new airport has handled domestic flights while international traffic stayed in Kathmandu. A daily Dubai flight lets visitors land beside Phewa Lake and the Annapurna approaches instead of adding a domestic hop after an international arrival in the capital.
Chief executive Ghaith Al Ghaith said Nepal has remained an important market since the Kathmandu launch in 2009. Pokhara mayor Dhanraj Acharya told the Himalayan Times the Dubai hub would connect the city to more than 300 destinations. That is hub access, not a list of new nonstops. Use it when the trip is actually in western Nepal.
This Route Fits Pokhara Trips, Not Kathmandu Ones
This flight is for travelers whose first night is in Pokhara. Trek stays around the lake and Annapurna permits sit closer to PHH than to Kathmandu. The new arrival removes a domestic connection and a second baggage claim.
Gulf residents visiting family in Gandaki Province get a similar cut in travel time. Naresh Kandel of the Federation of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce and Industry, Gandaki, told the Himalayan Times the Dubai link would make returns cheaper and let tourists skip Kathmandu. The schedule is the part you can book.
If the trip is Kathmandu, Chitwan, or the far east, keep using flydubai’s Kathmandu flights, including up to five daily in peak periods. Confirm FZ 1165 and FZ 1166 on the live timetable, read the Lite fare box, and only then lock lodging that assumes an 18:15 arrival.
| If you… | What to do |
|---|---|
| Need to be in Pokhara on or after September 23 | Price FZ 1165 and FZ 1166 as a nonstop before you buy a Kathmandu itinerary plus a domestic hop. |
| Are connecting on Emirates through Dubai | Buy one codeshare ticket so bags can be tagged through, and plan Terminal 3 rather than a self-transfer. |
| Are flying on a Lite fare with trekking bags | Add the bag product at checkout. Do not assume adventure gear fits the lowest fare’s allowance. |
| Are staying in Kathmandu, not Pokhara | Keep using flydubai’s Kathmandu flights. This route does not replace that city pair. |
September 23, 2026 is the first operating day. Do not plan an arrival in Pokhara on this flight before that date.
Tickets are on sale now. Book on flydubai.com or the app, and confirm Terminal 3 and the 12:00 Dubai departure on the live timetable.
Kathmandu remains the high-frequency Nepal gateway. Use Pokhara when the trip is in western Nepal, not as a substitute for the capital.
When do flydubai flights from Dubai to Pokhara start?
flydubai says daily nonstop flights begin September 23, 2026, from Dubai International Terminal 3 to Pokhara International Airport.
What are the Dubai to Pokhara flight times?
FZ 1165 leaves Dubai at 12:00 and arrives Pokhara at 18:15. FZ 1166 leaves Pokhara at 19:15 and arrives Dubai at 22:00, all local times, according to the airline’s launch table.
Is this an Emirates codeshare?
Yes. flydubai says the route is part of its Emirates codeshare, with a single ticket and through baggage check-in when both flights are on the same itinerary.
How much do flydubai Pokhara tickets start at?
The airline lists return Economy Class Lite from Dubai from AED 1,900 and return Business Class from AED 5,000. From Pokhara, Lite starts at NPR 91,000 and Business at NPR 190,000. Confirm the live price before you buy.
