KATHMANDU: The arrival of Thai AirAsia flights is expected to increase activity at Gautam Buddha International Airport (GBIA) in Bhairahawa. This is a big step forward for the airport, which has seen few international flights since it opened two years ago. The airline will run four weekly flights between Bangkok and Bhairahawa.

These flights will be operated by Thai AirAsia which was given operating authority by the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN) on Thursday. The chief of Siddhartha Hotel Association, Chandra Prakash Shrestha said the new flights will benefit Bhairahawa economically and add to the tourism in the region. He also implored the authorities of Nepal Airlines to ensure they change the flight schedules to commence with having direct flights from Bhairahawa, especially to New Delhi with the aim of enhancing the relationship.

Thai AirAsia, which operates a fleet of 58 aircraft, has Universal Tours and Travels as its General Sales Agent in Nepal. The airline's return to Nepal comes after a previous debt issue with AirAsia, which was resolved with a bank guarantee last March. The CAAN expects that the new flights will increase tourist arrivals from Thailand, a country that was the 18th largest source of tourists to Nepal in 2023.

Established in May 2022, GBIA has seen limited international traffic, with previous operations including Jazeera Airways and Himalaya Airlines. Jazeera Airways conducted 110 flights to Bhairahawa, and Himalaya Airlines operated 68 charter flights to Malaysia before halting. Currently, Nepal Airlines' flight from Malaysia to Kathmandu makes a weekly stop in Bhairahawa.