Himalaya Airlines, a Nepal-China joint venture, is an international full service air carrier based in Nepal. The airline was established in August 2014 and held its inaugural flight to Doha on May 31, 2016 with a 158-seater Airbus 320-214. 
The now daily flights of the airline between Kathmandu and Doha have convenient timings, departing from Kathmandu at 2300 hours local time and landing at Hamad International Airport at 0130 hours local time. Likewise, flight from Doha takes off at 0230 hours local time and lands at Tribhuwan International Airport at 1015 hours local time.
Community caught up with Dheeraj Lama, the country manager of Himalaya Airlines in Qatar, and talked about the airline and its operations.

Can you tell us how the Kathmandu-Doha flight came into being?
Our survey showed a huge demand for this route, as a large number of Nepali citizens are staying in Qatar. Many of them also have families here. Being a Nepali private carrier, we think we can cater to the demands of Nepalis in Qatar and will receive support from the community.

How many weekly flights do you have? What has been the response so far?  
We started with three flights per week and then switched to daily flights from July 11. We have gotten a very encouraging response from people who travelled with us and they are recommending our services to their relatives and friends. This word-of-mouth advertising has quickly made us known to the Nepali community. Nepalis are proud of a private carrier from their homeland operating direct flights and we are doing our best to continue offering quality services to our valued passengers.

As a leading Nepali airline, what are the drawbacks of Nepalese aviation sector? What are your thoughts on Tribhuwan International Airport in Kathmandu?
We have trained manpower and do not have any problems at the airport. That said, the Tribhuwan International Airport is getting congested with 28 international airlines operating along with a good number of domestic operators.

How many international flights do you fly from Kathmandu? Do you have any plans to expand your routes?
Currently we are operating our international flight solely to Doha. In near future, we will be expanding our services to New Delhi (India), Colombo (Sri Lanka), Bangkok (Thailand) and three major cities of China — Lhasa, Chendu and Guanzou. We are also planning to operate to Dubai (UAE) and Dammam (Saudi Arabia). We will be coming up with a larger list by mid-2017.

Do you think Himalaya Airlines will it be able to expand its share in international flights from Kathmandu? What are the plans you are executing to popularise and expand your service?
Competition is always good as it helps everyone grow and encourages them to give their best. It forces them to try new things to improve and maintain international and quality standards.
We think our existence and sustainability depends on the support of our community and we are gradually gaining its confidence, and building up our brand.
We are a team of experienced aviation professionals, and will be coming up with plans to differentiate ourselves and our services.

Do you think Himalaya Airlines needs strategic partners?
It is a standard procedure to tie up with other airlines and to become part of their alliance to expand. We are working on long term strategy that would require the support of a greater alliance.

Apart from transporting passengers across the region, what are your plans on promoting tourism in Nepal?  
Nepal is rich in natural beauty. We will also focus on promoting tourism and aim to bring many tourists to Nepal.
We are talking with travel agents who have shown keen interest in promoting tourism in Nepal.

Do you think your airlines will become a major competitor and force other airlines to cut down their ticket prices?
We all know that this is a price sensitive market; but that alone is not enough. There are other factors like flight time/schedule, in-flight services, and customer care etc. We don’t believe we can become market leaders just by lowering ticket prices. Success is an amalgam of so many things. A healthy competition is necessary to keep everyone on their toes.

How will Himalaya Airlines help strengthen bilateral relationship between Nepal and Qatar?
With our daily flights in Kathmandu-Doha, we will work as a bridge between the two countries, exchanging trade and business. That will definitely help strengthen relations between these two countries.