Kathmandu, Jan. 17 -- Private carrier Buddha Air announced on Wednesday, three weekly flights on the Kathmandu-Kolkata route from April 15, as part of its early preparation to enter long-haul international markets by August 2020.

Buddha will operate in Kolkata-an artistic and cultural hub and the capital of the Indian state of West Bengal-on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays using its short-haul regional airliner ATR 72.

"The cross-border flight will be our trial. The success of this flight will lead us to expand our wings to more Indian cities before we launch our long-haul international routes," Birendra Bahadur Basnet, managing director of Buddha Air, told a press conference on Wednesday.

"The three flights will generate 180 seats per...