KATHMANDU, Sept 27: Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN), which owns and operates the Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA), is preparing to expand main terminal building by adding new facilities to facilitate air passengers.

Birendra Prasad Shrestha, the spokesperson for CAAN, said that the CAAN was preparing to add more floors in the existing terminal building. “We have already readied design and necessary paperwork. We will submit the expansion proposal to the Board of Directors of CAAN very soon,” he added.

The only international airport has limited facilities compared to other international airports in the region. As there are few baggage belts, check-in desks and terminal gates, air passengers have no option but to wait in long queues. Realizing this very fact, CAAN has taken initiative to add more facilities by expanding terminal building. 

Shrestha also said that frequent change in leadership of Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation is delaying the process of getting approval for terminal expansion work. “We will submit the proposal once the Dashain festival concludes,” he said, adding that the terminal building will see both horizontal and vertical expansion.

The existing terminal has the capacity to handle 1,300 passengers per hour. After the expansion, it will be able to handle 2,500 passengers per hour, according to Shrestha. 
Similarly, CAAN has already started the process to expand the only runway at the airport.

“As the passenger volume will increase after the expansion of runway, we have started preparation to expand the capacity of the terminal building,” he said, adding that necessary budget has already been allocated for terminal expansion work.

CAAN plans to invite tender for expansion work once its plan gets through the Board of Directors. “Expansion work will take two to two and half years to complete,” Shrestha added.

According to the Department of Immigration, TIA handles around 10,000 passengers every day.

 
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