The  recently opened international air route from Kathmandu westwards takes you on one of the world’s most spectacular mountain-viewing flights.

Flying west from Kathmandu to Delhi, the Gulf or Europe now offers one of the most scenic views of the western Himalaya. The new air route opened six months ago takes a track that overflies Palpa, Surkhet and crosses Nepal’s western border with India south of Dadeldhura and then onwards. Besides cutting the travel time on the

Kathmandu-Delhi flight by 15 minutes, the new route also increases the revenue coming to Nepal's Civil Aviation Authority from overflight fees.

By the time the plane reaches cruising altitude of 38,000 or 40,000 ft you are directly overhead Pokhara, so you are looking out at Machapuchre gliding past your window. Flying over the Alps, the mountains are way below you, here the mountains rise to almost meet the plane.

Some tips: make sure you sit on the right hand side, either in front or the back so the wing doesn’t obstruct the view. Make sure you have a window without scratches, and also make sure it is not a night flight. These are pictures I took on new year’s day 2011 from Jet Airways Flight 261:

Taking off from Kathmandu, Langtang, Sishapangma and Dorje Lakpa heave into view over the haze

Then, the Ganesh range glides past as the plane climbs westwards

The little-seen Siringi Himal in the finger of Nepali territory that sticks out into Tibet

We are crossing 25,000 ft by the time we pass (from left to right) Manaslu, Ngadi and Himalchuli

Nearing Pokhara, Annapurna 2 with the Manang and the faraway peaks of central Tibet in the background

Annapurna 1 (right) with Nilgiri (left) and Tilicho Peak (centre). Mustang and the arid Tibetan plateau stretch out into the distance

Machapuchre is on the right, and you can make out the twin-peak shadow on the flanks of Annapurna 4. On the centre is the Annapurna sanctuary with Annapurna 1 looming over it. Beyond is Mustang

The deepest gorge in the world, where the Kali Gandaki flows between Dhaulagiri (left) and Annapurna (right)

Jaljala Himal in central western Nepal looms over the border between Rukum and Dolpo

Kanjiroba in the distance with Jumla Valley the dark area in the centre

You can just make out Mt Kailash, a tiny speck behind Gurla Mandata (left) and Api and Saipal (right)

We are now over Naini Tal in India, and this is another view of Kailash through the tele lens behind Trishul in Kumaon.

This the point where the plane takes a steep turn south and we see the Indo-Gangetic plains shrouded in perpetual fog