KATHMANDU: Nepal Airlines Corporation (NAC) will operate flights from Kathmandu to Riyadh, the capital of Saudi Arabia, from Friday (today).

According to NAC sources, Saudi Arabia is its eighth international destination country.

Saudi Arabia is one of the labor destinations for Nepali workers.

NAC is preparing to make two flights a week to Saudi Arabia in the first phase.

NAC will operate one flight each to Riyadh on Tuesday and Friday. Similarly, the flights from Riyadh to Kathmandu will be on Wednesday and Saturday.

NAC source revealed that an Airbus A330 wide-body with a capacity of 274 seats or an Airbus A320 narrow-body with a capacity of 158 will be flown according to the passenger pressure.

Saudi Civil Aviation office allowed NAC to make two-way flights to three Saudi cities Riyadh, Jeddah, and Dammam last February.

Himalayan Airlines, which was earlier established in Nepal in partnership with Yeti Airlines with Chinese investment, has been flying with narrow-body aircraft in Dammam and Riyadh.

The air service agreement signed between Nepal and Saudi Arabia seven years ago has given the two countries the right to carry up to 5600 seats a week.