Pokhara, Nepal is located in a valley less than 200 kilometres west of Nepal's capital Kathmandu, a journey that takes seven to eight hours by car and just 20 minutes by air. Due to the size of the existing airport, only small regional planes travel to and from the airport, making flight safety a "hurdle" for visitors from around the world.

In 2016, Nepal officially launched the construction of a new airport in Pokhara, which is the largest Chinese aid project in Nepal to date and a key project in the "One Belt, One Road" cooperation between China and Nepal. When completed, the new airport will be Nepal's second international airport and a backup airport for Kathmandu International Airport, which will strengthen Nepal's external links to the landlocked mountainous country for the benefit of the Nepalese people.  

The new airport will be built to 4D standards, including a 2500m 4D runway and supporting taxiway, apron, terminal building, command tower, cargo terminal, hangar, car park and approach roads, etc. It can take off and land Airbus A320 and Boeing 757 class aircraft.

Beijing Jing Hang An Airport Engineering Co., Ltd. is responsible for the supply and installation of special equipment for the airport. The construction period is 42 months, from April 2016 to October 2019.