STORY: 1st int'l flight lands at Pokhara airport in Nepal
DATELINE: June 22, 2023
LENGTH: 0:01:13
LOCATION: POKHARA, Nepal
CATEGORY: SOCIETY

SHOTLIST:
1) various of the arrival
2) various of the ceremony

STORYLINE:

A Sichuan Airlines charter flight touched down at Nepal's Pokhara International Airport on Wednesday, making it the first international flight to land at the third international airport of Nepal.

Chairman of Nepal's National Assembly Ganesh Prasad Timilsina and his delegates were aboard the charter flight, which took off from Chengdu, the capital of southwest China's Sichuan Province.

The plane was greeted with a water salute after landing. Sudan Kirati, Nepal's Minister of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation, and Chinese Ambassador to Nepal Chen Song welcomed the delegates and other passengers at the airport.

The Pokhara International Airport, constructed by a Chinese company, went into operation on Jan. 1.

Addressing the arrival ceremony, Timilsina said that the charter flight showed the importance China attaches to China-Nepal relations and the development of Nepal's tourism industry.

The chairman stressed the importance of enhancing infrastructure, including improving road connectivity between Pokhara and the capital city of Kathmandu, as well as other cities to attract Chinese tourists.

In his speech, Kirati thanked China for not only helping build the airport, but also connecting the airport.

For his part, Chinese Ambassador to Nepal Chen Song recognized the pivotal role of connectivity within the Belt and Road Initiative, and emphasized the significance of the airport as a crucial component of the trans-Himalayan multi-dimensional connectivity network.

Since its inauguration, the airport has successfully handled domestic flights, and the arrival of the charter flight has opened a new chapter in China-Nepal connectivity and cooperation under the Belt and Road Initiative, Chen added.

Xinhua news agency correspondent reporting from Pokhara, Nepal.
(XHTV)