[5] The airport is expected to handle up to one million passengers per year,[6] but as of 2024[update] there have not been any regular international flights.

[10] In 2013, the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal signed an agreement with China CAMC Engineering for the construction of the airport.

[11] The initial bid was nearly double Nepal's original projection, but the cost was later reduced by about 30 percent to US$216 million.

[12] In April 2016, then Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli laid the foundation stone of the airport, aiming to commence operations on 10 July 2021.

[14] However, it was revealed in 2020 that the nearby Rithepani Hill, located at the eastern end of the runway, needed to be flattened to facilitate aircraft approach.

[20] In mid-2022, the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal pushed back the opening to December 2022 due to a lack of flight inspections.

[21] On 8 August 2022, the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal set the official opening date for 1 January 2023.

[12] The flight was chartered and funded by China, and the passengers were Chinese athletes and officials who came for a good-will dragon-boat race.

One consultant, originally hired to ensure the airport's construction adhered to international standards, estimated that Nepal's lack of oversight over the project led to it being charged at least double the market rate.

As a result, The New York Times noted that the airport may become a debt trap, a problem shared by several other projects completed under China's Belt and Road Initiative.

There are two non-precision approaches available at the Pokhara Airport; VHF omnidirectional range along a distance measuring equipment (VOR/DME) and Required Area Navigation (RNAV/RNP).

[38] The ATC tower also supports Wide area multilateration (WAM) based surveillance system, the first of its kind in Nepal.

High intensity 870 metres (2,854 ft 4 in) extended centerline lights are installed at the southern end of the airport to assist with the approach.

[citation needed] Buddha Air plans on constructing a hangar that can accommodate aircraft up to the size of an Airbus A319.

[citation needed] Air Astra, a privately owned Bangladeshi passenger airline based at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport, has planned to operate to Pokhara, Nepal four times a week from coming winter schedule 2024, followed by Indian routes.