Kathmandu, Dec 2：Nepal makes the long awaited first direct air flight from Kathmandu to Shanghai, China which has successfully been operated by Himalaya Airline today on December 2, 2023. This makes Himalaya Airlines the first and the only airlines to operate direct flight from Kathmandu to Shanghai.

Shanghai, on China's central coast is the country's biggest city and global financial hub. The flight to Shanghai has been on a high demand lately from Yangtze River, Delta region and Nepal as the business along with tourism between two countries and two people has been flourishing day after day.

This first flight of the airlines took off today at Nepal's local time 9:25 am carrying 137 passengers in it. According to the sources the estimated flight time to reach Shanghai would be 5hrs and 20 mins. The flight would return today with passengers carrying from China as well. The flight is scheduled to be operated every Saturday in the morning on weekly basis. According to the sources of Himalaya Airlines, it is the 9th such flight conducted by the Airlines.

Vice-president of Himalaya Airlines, Mr. Vijay Shrestha informed, "China sends largest number of flights to Nepal with Himalaya in comparison to other countries ". 

The launch of this new flight is believed to increase the people to people relationship between China and Nepal. More importantly, Shanghai being the leader of China's opening up and (Shanghai Cooperation Organisation) SCO demonstration zone. Nepal is also a dialogue partner of SCO, an international alliance. This flight route will be a significant boost to both Nepalese tourism and trade.

Further, Himalaya Airlines which had commenced Nepal's first flight to China's Qingdao-Kathmandu some time earlier, on September, has today been all set to make a journey to a new destination, Shanghai on demand. Likewise, it has intended to launch their flights to further new destinations of China which is Chongqing to Kathmandu and opening flights from Lasha to Kathmandu at the end of the year. The airlines had also commenced it's flight to Beijing from Kathmandu this year on June 24. The airlines aims to launch flights to China's five new destination from Kathmandu by the end of the year.

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