Nepal’s second int’l airport now ready for commercial flight operation

KATHMANDU, March 11: The construction of the second international airport has been completed in Nepal after seven decades.

The Gautam Buddha International Airport (GBIA) in Bhairahawa, which is a national pride project, has officially become the second well-equipped international airport in the country since Thursday.

The Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN) has stated that international flights may be able to land at the airport in the next 42 days. The achievement after the upgradation of the troubled GBIA has added a new height to the history of CAAN since Thursday. Preparations for the operation of this airport seem to be exemplary in the progress of other projects of national pride.

CAAN on Thursday released the Aeronautical Information Publication (AIP) on its website, which will make getting permission for aircrafts to land at the airport easier. On the basis of the AIP, international airlines have shown interest to operate commercial flights to Bhairahawa.

According to the report, which includes information on the overall condition of the airport, the airlines can get the information on whether their aircraft will be able to take off and land there.

A statement issued by CAAN on Thursday said Boeing and Airbus planes will soon take off and land at GBIA.

After completing the mechanical test flight (calibration flight), the government is preparing to operate test flights from April 14 and start  commercial flights from May 15, i.e. on Buddha Purnima. As per the preparations, the airport is expected to get the certificate of International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) within the next two weeks.

A team of experts from the Aeronautical Radio of Thailand (AEROTHAI) conducted a preliminary report on the calibration flight to determine whether the airport was technically sound. According to Pradip Adhikari, Director General of CAAN, the door for international flights has been opened from the second international airport with the issuance of AIP. He said that aircraft that cannot land in Kathmandu could land at this airport.

He said that the international airlines have been called upon to fly to Bhairahawa on the basis of reports that the equipment connected to the airport was working properly for the landing of any types of aircrafts. "Even aircraft that could not land at Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA) will now be able to land at this airport with an instrumental landing system," he said.

At present, 11 kilometers of visibility is required for landing an aircraft in Kathmandu, but in GBIA 6 kilometers of visibility is enough for landing at the airport. He said that as soon as the airport, which has a lot of potential, comes into operation, the situation of Buddhist tourists to come through TIA will be ended.

From a technical point of view, the new structure will facilitate the flight and landing of aircraft as well as direct other functions, testing equipment related to the new control tower, communication, runway alignment, parking and other new structures.

General Manager of GBIA Govinda Dahal said that discussions are underway with the Indian side along with preparations to open the way for commercial flights. Earlier, India had  informed Nepal that the airport was close to the border and that it could pose a security challenge. Nepal has been urging the Indian government to provide air entry points from Bhairahawa, Nepalgunj and Mahendranagar.