Himalaya Airlines will start a new direct flight service between Kathmandu, Nepal, and Hangzhou, China, on September 30, 2026. The new Kathmandu–Hangzhou route will operate twice weekly, marking the airline as the first and only carrier providing scheduled direct flights on this sector.
Two days earlier, on September 28, 2026, Himalaya Airlines will resume its direct Kathmandu–Shanghai flights. Initially, the revived route will run twice weekly, with outbound departures from Kathmandu on Mondays and Fridays and return flights from Shanghai on Tuesdays and Saturdays. Himalaya Airlines will be the sole operator offering nonstop service between Kathmandu and Shanghai.
The addition
of the Kathmandu–Hangzhou route and the resumption of Kathmandu–Shanghai flights align with Himalaya Airlines’ strategic plan to link Kathmandu with ten key tourism and economic centers in China. The airline aims to attract one million Chinese tourists to Nepal and strengthen Nepal–China relations through these air links. Its focus is on connecting cities with substantial cultural and economic significance, supporting tourism and trade cooperation.
The Kathmandu–Hangzhou service will depart from Kathmandu as flight H9225 every Wednesday and Sunday at 5:15 p.m., arriving in Hangzhou, the capital of Zhejiang province, at 1:05 a.m. the following day. The return flight, H9226, will
leave Hangzhou every Monday and Thursday at 2:05 a.m., arriving in Kathmandu at 6:20 a.m. the same day. The Kathmandu–Shanghai service will run outbound from Kathmandu on Mondays and Fridays and return from Shanghai on Tuesdays and Saturdays, maintaining a twice-weekly frequency initially.
Vijay Shrestha, Vice-President of Himalaya Airlines, stated the airline has consistently led the market by pioneering new China routes ahead of competitors. He described the launch of the Hangzhou route and Shanghai flight resumption as part of the company’s ongoing effort to foster trade, tourism, and people-to-people ties between Nepal and China. The airline plans to deliver
high safety and service standards while encouraging passengers to explore both countries’ cultural and economic opportunities.
The new and resumed direct flight services are expected to provide travelers with convenient options between Kathmandu and the Chinese cities of Hangzhou and Shanghai. Scheduled to start at the beginning of Nepal’s peak autumn tourist season, these routes aim to support inbound tourism growth and bolster Nepal’s hospitality sector amid efforts for economic recovery.
