flydubai Dubai to Pokhara flights: timetable and visa checks

flydubai's first scheduled commercial flight from Dubai landed at Pokhara International Airport on September 23, 2026. The airline publishes FZ 1165 from Dubai International Airport Terminal 3 at 12:00, arriving at 18:15. FZ 1166 leaves Pokhara at 19:15 and reaches Dubai at 22:00. All times are local.

The launch is no longer just an announcement. Nepal's official tourism board says the inaugural Boeing 737 MAX 8 arrived with 113 passengers and left with 152. Two details still need a pre-booking check. flydubai's announcement and Nepalese launch reports describe a daily service, but one live flydubai route page says five flights a week. Nepal's Pokhara immigration office now confirms visa on arrival for eligible foreign nationals, although passport-specific exclusions still apply.

*Original AI-generated editorial image created for OpenSim. The airport, landscape and flight are generic and do not depict Pokhara International Airport or the operating service.*

The practical answer: the route has started, but confirm the exact date in flydubai's timetable because its own pages disagree on weekly frequency. Keep connecting sectors on one ticket when possible. Eligible travelers can use Pokhara's official visa-on-arrival application, while travelers excluded from that facility still need a visa before departure.

This guide was reviewed on September 25 after the first round trip operated.

The published Dubai-Pokhara timetable

flydubai's June 11 route announcement gives the following schedule from September 23:

The airline says the service is nonstop and operates as part of its Emirates codeshare. The Nepal Tourism Board's launch report confirms that the first round trip operated on September 23 with a Boeing 737 MAX 8.

The frequency needs a fresh check for each booking. The airline announcement and Nepalese launch sources call the service daily. A live flydubai Dubai-to-Pokhara sales page instead says five direct flights a week. Do not fill that gap by assuming which two days are omitted. Check the flydubai timetable, booking result and flight status for the exact date.

The approval period needs a second check

flydubai describes a daily route and does not give an end date. Local reporting from Republica, quoting Nepal's Civil Aviation Authority, said the initial permission covered one month of scheduled flights and that demand would be reviewed afterward.

Those statements are not necessarily incompatible. A route can be marketed beyond an initial regulatory period while later permissions are processed. They do mean that a seat displayed months ahead should not be treated as proof that the same schedule has final approval for every date.

The completed inaugural flight proves that service started, not that every future departure has final approval. Before paying for a distant date, confirm that the exact flight is offered and the ticket has been issued. For an expensive trek, tour or separate onward flight, prefer changeable arrangements until flydubai or the regulator clarifies the longer operating period.

Pokhara or Kathmandu: which arrival makes sense?

Pokhara is the more direct gateway for Lakeside stays and many Annapurna itineraries. The Nepal Tourism Board describes the city as a gateway to the Annapurna region. A passenger whose trip starts there can avoid an international arrival at Kathmandu followed by a domestic flight or a long road transfer.

Kathmandu can still be the safer choice when the traveler needs consular or specialist services, has fixed plans in the capital, cannot resolve the Pokhara visa question, or finds a materially better protected itinerary. It also offers more international alternatives if a new route changes.

Compare the whole journey rather than the nonstop sector alone. Include the arrival airport, visa certainty, baggage treatment, hotel transfer, flexibility and the cost of recovering from a cancellation.

Emirates connections work best on one ticket

flydubai says the Emirates codeshare can provide a single ticket, through check-in and through-checked baggage. Those benefits attach to an eligible combined itinerary, not merely to two flights that happen to meet at Dubai Terminal 3.

If an Emirates flight and FZ 1165 appear together in one booking, confirm the final baggage destination at the first airport and keep the bag receipt. The minimum connection offered by the ticketing airline is a starting point, but a longer buffer is sensible for a time-critical trek or event.

Separate tickets change the risk. The first airline may check the bag only to Dubai, and the traveler may need permission to enter the UAE, collect baggage and check in again. Neither airline is automatically responsible for protecting a self-made connection after a delay. Verify the process with both carriers before buying two reservations.

Pokhara now publishes a visa-on-arrival route

Nepal's official Pokhara International Airport arrival page now says the airport provides visa on arrival for eligible foreign nationals. The government's online application also identifies Pokhara International Airport as the arrival point.

That resolves the earlier airport-specific gap, but it is not a promise that every passport qualifies. Nepal requires some travelers to obtain a visa before departure, and exemptions or document rules can differ for Indian citizens, children, diplomatic passports and other categories.

Select PIA only for a flight that lands at Pokhara. Complete the current official process for the traveler's passport, keep the submission receipt available offline and carry the documents required for that visa category. If the official eligibility list excludes the passport, arrange the visa through a Nepalese diplomatic mission before flying.

The aircraft reports conflict

The inaugural flight settled the early aircraft-reporting conflict. Nepal's tourism board and airport-side reports identify the operating aircraft as a Boeing 737 MAX 8. Earlier local references to Airbus A319 and A320 aircraft were not accurate descriptions of the flydubai flight.

Use the aircraft shown in the live booking or flight status. Equipment can change for operational reasons, so do not choose a tight cabin-bag fit, seat expectation or accessibility plan solely from an early schedule filing.

Check the fare and baggage line before paying

The launch announcement listed return Economy Lite fares from AED 1,900 departing Dubai and NPR 91,000 departing Pokhara. It also listed Business Class fares from AED 5,000 and NPR 190,000. These were starting fares published in June, not fixed prices for every date.

flydubai's current hand-baggage page says Economy passengers can take one cabin bag up to 7 kg and one qualifying small personal item within the stated size limit. It also says Lite includes no checked-baggage allowance. The selected fare and issued ticket control, especially on a codeshare itinerary.

Trekkers should price poles, larger packs and other equipment before purchase. If checked baggage is needed, compare the fare with an allowance against adding baggage later. Save the allowance shown at checkout with the booking confirmation.

Build a September weather buffer

September is still part of Nepal's monsoon season. The Nepal Tourism Board says most national rainfall falls from June through September and lists Pokhara among the country's wetter locations. That is seasonal context, not a forecast for FZ 1165.

Do not build a same-evening trek departure or an inflexible road transfer around the scheduled 18:15 arrival. Allow time for immigration, baggage, weather and the normal uncertainty of a new international operation. Save the first hotel address, transfer contact and any time-sensitive permit or tour details offline.

Mobile data for Dubai and Nepal

A UAE eSIM is useful for ground time in Dubai, including airport messages and a stopover. A Nepal eSIM is the relevant option after arrival for maps, accommodation messages and ground transport.

The live OpenSim catalog offered fixed-data and daily-data plans for both countries when checked on September 25. The reviewed regional catalog did not show one plan that explicitly covered both the UAE and Nepal, so do not assume an Asia, Gulf or global card will work on both sides. Read the selected package's country list.

Daily plans have a stated high-speed allowance followed by the reduced speed shown on the card until the daily allowance refreshes. Fixed plans use a total data allowance across their validity period. Top-up support also varies, so choose an eligible reloadable plan if adding data later matters.

An eSIM does not provide inflight Wi-Fi, guarantee service at the airport or on a mountain trail, replace airline alerts, or solve a visa or missed connection. Install it on reliable Wi-Fi and follow the selected plan's activation instructions. Travelers can also check when to install an eSIM, whether a phone supports eSIM and how much travel data they may need.

Ten questions about flydubai Pokhara flights

When do flydubai flights to Pokhara start?

The first scheduled commercial round trip operated on September 23, 2026. Nepal's tourism board says the inbound flight carried 113 passengers and the return carried 152.

What are the FZ 1165 and FZ 1166 times?

FZ 1165 leaves Dubai Terminal 3 at 12:00 and arrives in Pokhara at 18:15. FZ 1166 leaves Pokhara at 19:15 and arrives in Dubai at 22:00. All four times are local.

Is the Dubai-Pokhara route approved for the whole winter?

flydubai announced daily service without an end date, but its route-sales page currently says five flights weekly and Republica reported that the initial Nepalese permission covered one month. Confirm the exact future date.

Is flying to Pokhara better than connecting through Kathmandu?

It can remove a domestic flight or road transfer for a Pokhara or Annapurna trip. Kathmandu may remain preferable when visa certainty, schedule alternatives or time in the capital matters more.

Can Emirates check my baggage through to Pokhara?

flydubai says eligible Emirates codeshare itineraries offer a single ticket and through baggage. Confirm PHH as the final bag destination at check-in rather than assuming every Emirates and flydubai combination qualifies.

What happens if I buy separate tickets through Dubai?

You may need to enter the UAE, collect baggage and check in again, and a delay may not be protected by the next airline. Check entry rules, baggage handling and connection time with both carriers before purchase.

Can I get a Nepal visa on arrival at Pokhara airport?

Eligible foreign nationals can apply on arrival. Pokhara Immigration now publishes that facility and the government's online form lists PIA, but passport-specific exclusions still apply.

Which aircraft will fly to Pokhara?

The inaugural service used a Boeing 737 MAX 8, according to Nepal's tourism board and airport-side reports. Aircraft substitutions remain possible, so check the live flight details.

Does Economy Lite include checked baggage?

flydubai says Lite includes cabin baggage but no checked-bag allowance. Check the selected itinerary because a partner-airline sector or different fare can change the baggage line.

Will one OpenSim plan work in Dubai and Nepal?

Only when the selected package explicitly lists both countries. The reviewed public catalog did not show a regional plan covering both, so compare the UAE and Nepal country plans separately.

Before booking FZ 1165 or FZ 1166

• Match DXB and PHH on every sector.
• Confirm the exact operating date in the live timetable.
• Check Terminal 3 for the Dubai departure.
• Keep Emirates and flydubai sectors on one ticket when possible.
• Confirm the final checked-bag destination at the first airport.
• Resolve Nepal entry permission before travel.
• Read the cabin and checked-baggage line for the selected fare.
• Leave a weather and new-route buffer before fixed onward plans.
• Save the ticket, visa evidence, first hotel and transfer contact offline.
• Recheck flight status before leaving for the airport.

What this route guide relies on

The start date, Terminal 3, flight numbers, times, codeshare benefits and launch fares come from flydubai's June 11 announcement. Nepal's tourism board, Radio Nepal and airport-side reporting confirm that the first round trip operated with a Boeing 737 MAX 8. flydubai's route-sales page provides the conflicting five-weekly frequency. Republica provides the reported initial approval period.

Pokhara Immigration's arrival page and the government's PIA application form support the airport-specific visa-on-arrival guidance. Public traveler discussions were used to select questions, not to prove airline, visa, baggage or weather claims.

This page should be updated when CAAN or flydubai clarifies the longer approval period and weekly frequency, or if the timetable, visa process, terminal, baggage rules or codeshare treatment changes.

*Route, immigration, baggage, climate and product details were reviewed on September 25, 2026. Recheck flydubai, Nepal Immigration and the live OpenSim catalog before travel.*