Cabinet declares area for Second International Airport

KATHMANDU, March 4: The cabinet meeting held on Friday declared area spread over 80 square kilometers in Nijgadh of Bara as ‘aerodrome area’ for construction of second international airport (SIA).

According to Civil Aviation Act 2015, the Government of Nepal by publishing a notice in Nepal Gazette can declare any area or place in Nepal, specifying its boundaries on all four sides, as an aerodrome area.

“Now that the government has declared the area for airport, construction works for the airport will begin formally,” Okil Chimauriya, project manager of SIA, said. “We will carry out works like demarcation, fencing, rehabilitation of squatters, and distribution of compensation to the land owners. For this we have already started discussion with the Ministry of Finance.”
Chimauriya said it will take around three years to clear the area.

The government expedites works for SIA after a minor accident of Airbus330 of Turkish in Tribhuvan International Airport closed the country’s only international airport for nearly four days, disconnecting Nepal from rest of the world.

A study carried out by South Korean firm Landmark Worldwide (LMW) has estimated the cost of first phase works of SIA at $650 million. The airport, which will be completed under three phases, will be able to handle 60 million passengers and aircraft as big as Airbus 380 by the end of the third phase. It will have two 4,700-meter runways.

Upon completion of the first phase, the airport will be able to handle 15 million passengers annually. Similarly, it will be able to handle 30 million passengers at the end of the second phase. Once it has parallel runway by the end of third phase, the airport will be able to handle 60 million passengers annually. The airport will have parking space for 15 international aircraft, four domestic aircraft, and two cargo aircraft.

Likewise, the first passenger terminal, which will spread over 75,500 square meters, will have six boarding gates, security inspection counters and baggage claim counters, 34 check-in counters, 35 immigration counters and eight custom inspection counters. The two-storied terminal building will have arrival area in the ground floor and departure area in the first floor.

Works of first phase will be completed in six years. The airport will be able to start full-fledged operation 14 years after the beginning of construction works, according to officials.