KATHMANDU, April 21: The Gautam Buddha International Airport (GBIA), also a national pride project built in Rupandehi district of Lumbini Province, has formally come into operation from today. This is the second international airport in the country after the Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA) in Kathmandu.     

Director General of the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN), the regulatory body, Engineer Pradip Adhikari informed RSS that the new runway of the GBIA has formally come into operation. 

According to him, the second international airport has formally come into operation and it is a milestone in the 74 years of civil aviation history of the country.

"We would like to give our special thanks to all who are directly and indirectly linked with the project," he said. The director general said that the 1,500 meters long old runway has been closed and the new 3,500 meters long runway has become operational.

Although the new runway has come into operation, international flights will however be started from May 16, on the day of Buddha Jayanti or the birth anniversary of Lord Buddha. Domestic flights, however, have been started from the new runway from today itself. 

Aircraft of international airlines can land at the GBIA when the Kathmandu airport is closed or in any other emergency situations. 

Bikram Gautam, joint-coordinator of the Operation Readiness and Airport Transport, said domestic flights started from the GBIA from today. He said all the flights would be operated from the new runway.

"The Bhairahawa airport was operated on 4 July 1958 as a domestic airport. Now, we have declared that it has been brought into operation as an international airport from today," he added. 

Jazeera Air has made all preparations for operating international flights from the GBIA. Jazeera Air has so far taken official permission for operating flights from this airport. Other airlines are also contacting for operating flights to and from the airport. Airport authorities believe that the other airlines will also start their services from here soon. 

Both narrow body and wide-body aircraft will conduct flights to and from the GBIA. 

The officials concerned have described the commercial operation of the GBIA as a new leap forward in the country's aviation history. 

Private sector airline Yeti Airlines conducted the first flight from the new runway, the Airport Office said. Other private airlines such as Buddha Air, Yeti Airlines, Shree Airlines, Saurya Airlines have been operating flights to and from the airport.

CAAN stated that GBIA would be operated at the same capacity as the TIA.

(RSS)

 
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