Himalaya Airlines will begin a new direct flight route between Kathmandu and Hangzhou on September 30, 2026, and will resume its direct Kathmandu to Shanghai service on September 28, 2026. Both routes will initially operate twice weekly, marking the airline as the sole carrier with direct scheduled flights linking Nepal’s capital to these key Chinese cities.
Flights on the Kathmandu–Hangzhou route will be operated under flight number H9225 departing from Kathmandu every Wednesday and Sunday at 17:15 local time, landing in Hangzhou at 01:05 the following day. The return flights, H9226, will leave Hangzhou every Monday and Thursday at 02:05,
arriving in Kathmandu at 06:20 the same day. For the Kathmandu–Shanghai connection, flights will depart Kathmandu every Monday and Friday, with return services leaving Shanghai on Tuesdays and Saturdays.
Hangzhou, the capital of Zhejiang province, is recognized for notable cultural heritage sites including the UNESCO-listed West Lake Cultural Landscape, the Grand Canal, and the Archaeological Ruins of Liangzhu City. Shanghai is China’s largest city and a major global financial center, making these destinations commercially and culturally significant for Nepal-China air travel links.
These flight introductions are part of Himalaya Airlines’ wider plan to establish direct connections to ten major tourism
and economic hubs across China. The carrier aims to attract one million Chinese tourists to Nepal as part of this strategy, enhancing bilateral tourism and economic ties through improved air connectivity.
Vijay Shrestha, Vice-President of Himalaya Airlines, emphasized the airline’s pioneering role in opening new China routes ahead of traditional market trends. He described the Hangzhou launch and Shanghai service resumption as a continuation of the airline’s commitment to connect significant cultural and economic cities, while maintaining high standards of safety and service quality for travelers.
The new and resumed routes coincide with Nepal’s peak autumn tourism season. Himalaya Airlines
anticipates that these services will bolster the country’s inbound tourism and hospitality sectors amid ongoing economic recovery efforts.
