Malindo Air is planning to start flights from Kuala Lumpur to Nepal’s capital Kathmandu, with a tentative start date of January 18.
The carrier has applied for a permit to operate the route with the Nepalese government, BK Shrestha of the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal said.
If granted it would go head-to-head with Malaysia Airlines and budget carrier AirAsia on the route, however there is high demand for tickets due to an increasing number of migrant workers from Nepal heading to Malaysia.
Government statistics reveal 156,770 Nepalese migrant workers left the country to work in Malaysia last year.
Malaysia Airlines operates two daily flights and Air Asia has 11 flights a week.
The two governments of Malaysia and Nepal are keen to revise an aviation agreement which will pave the way for more flights on the route.
There is a current limit of 27 flights a week allowed on the route but this is expected to be increased to at least 42 weekly flights in early January, aviation officials said.
