KATHMANDU: Dipendra Gurung, president of Himalaya Jet, has proposed launching direct long-haul flights connecting Nepal with cities in Europe, the United Kingdom and Australia, citing the need for improved global aviation connectivity.

Gurung has outlined a vision under the banner "Holidays in Himalayas" that would introduce direct routes linking Nepal with London, Paris, Frankfurt, Madrid, Lisbon, Sydney, Melbourne and Perth — reducing travel time between London and Kathmandu to approximately 9 hours 45 minutes, and between major European hubs and Kathmandu to around 8 hours 45 minutes.

The initiative, if realised, could bring approximately one million travellers annually to Nepal, including over 500,000 international tourists — representing a projected 40 to 45 percent increase in foreign tourist arrivals. 

Supported by international consultancies including KPMG, ACC Aviation, Boeing and Airbus consulting forums, and IBA Aero, Gurung projects that the broader tourism and aviation ecosystem — encompassing hotel and resort investment, trekking and adventure tourism, airport development, hospitality, handicrafts, rural tourism and air cargo — could contribute around 25 to 30 percent of Nepal's GDP over time. The initiative is also expected to create more than 200,000 direct and indirect jobs for Nepalis both at home and abroad.

As part of its corporate social responsibility commitment, Himalaya Jet plans to introduce a Fly Now, Pay Later ticketing option, enabling members of the Nepali diaspora to stay connected with their homeland with greater ease and dignity.

Decades in the making
The announcement follows years of preparation, setbacks and deeply personal motivation. Gurung traces the origins of the vision to 2016, following extensive research and consultation with international organisations. Implementation had originally been planned for 27 September 2023 — World Tourism Day — but was repeatedly delayed by what he describes as political instability, bureaucratic barriers and governance failures.

The initiative drew further on a historic foundation: the Nepal–United Kingdom Bilateral Air Service Agreement signed on 3 March 1994, originally initiated through the efforts of Gurung's father. That legacy has been acknowledged in engagements with senior UK transport officials including former Director General at the Department for Transport Dr Rannia Leontaridi OBE, former Secretary of State for Transport Mark Harper, former Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, and former Aviation Minister Robert Courts. These discussions were held alongside then Minister of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation Prem Ale and the Director General of the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal.

Gurung also credits earlier diplomatic engagement during Minister Ale's tenure, which contributed to efforts that removed the India-Nepal aviation air-bubble restrictions during the COVID-19 period. In parallel, advisory engagement with IBA Aero explored pathways toward addressing Nepal's longstanding position on the EU Air Safety List — a restriction in place since 2013 that has prevented Nepali carriers from flying to Europe.

A personal reckoning
Behind the corporate vision lies a profoundly personal story. Gurung recounts how the absence of direct connectivity between Nepal and the United Kingdom made it impossible for his late grandfather, the Duke of Landruk Pratap Bahadur Gurung, to travel to the UK to see his daughter — Gurung's mother — following her liver transplant. Suffering from a severe spinal condition that required flat-bed travel, and with no direct flight available, the journey involving multiple transit connections was deemed too dangerous. His grandfather passed away in 2021 with that wish unfulfilled.

"For many nights I could not sleep, carrying a deep sense of helplessness and failure," Gurung writes. "The pain of losing my grandfather under circumstances that might have been different if Nepal had stronger global aviation connectivity stayed with me."
He notes that millions of Nepalis have similarly missed births, weddings, final rites and family gatherings simply because reliable direct connectivity to their homeland does not exist.

Aviation safety and the EU ban
Nepal's aviation sector has faced sustained international scrutiny. Since 2013, all Nepali carriers have been listed on the EU Air Safety List due to safety oversight concerns measured against International Civil Aviation Organisation standards — effectively barring them from European airspace. Gurung acknowledges the series of incidents that contributed to this listing, including the crashes of Turkish Airlines Flight 1951 near Kathmandu in 2009, US-Bangla Airlines Flight 211 in 2018, and Yeti Airlines Flight 691 in 2023 — the last of which claimed the life of a close personal friend, Tribhuvan Poudel.

Nepal's inherently complex operating environment — high mountains, rapidly changing weather and short mountain runways — compounds these challenges, though Gurung remains committed to working within international safety frameworks to build a credible path forward.

The moment and the message
With Nepal's recent elections concluded and a new government in place, Gurung says the conditions are finally aligned to move forward. He congratulates the newly elected leadership on what he describes as a democratic milestone, noting strong youth participation and renewed public appetite for transparency and accountability — a sentiment echoed by the September 2025 Gen-Z movement that briefly disrupted progress on the initiative.

Alongside the airline announcement, Gurung formally proposes that the new government launch a "Visit Nepal 2028" national tourism campaign to showcase Nepal's culture, heritage and Himalayan identity to the world. He calls on the global Nepali diaspora to support the campaign by inviting international friends and communities to visit.
"Nepal has a unique Himalayan identity, extraordinary natural beauty, and a powerful global diaspora that represent one of the most remarkable long-term opportunities in global tourism," he said.

Himalaya Jet states that its operations will align with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, specifically SDGs 8, 9, 12, 13 and 17, covering decent work, infrastructure, responsible consumption, climate action and global partnerships. A longer-term vision includes the potential development of ultra-luxury tourism routes linking Monte Carlo, Macau, Las Vegas and Los Angeles, targeted for around 2027 to 2028.