Initial works on second int'l airport soon: CAAN

KATHMANDU, July 22: As per the budget announcement, Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN) has started initial work to build second international airport in Bara district. [break]



The government has selected a plot of 80 square kilometers in Nijgadh, located around 300 kilometers from Kathmandu, to construct the airport. Most of the land required for the construction is owned by the government, except for around four percent which belong to individuals.



The government plans to build a 4,700 meter-long runway in the new airport. This is around 54 percent bigger than the 3,050-meter runway at Tribhuvan International Airport, Kathmandu.



However, parts of land have been occupied by around 1,400 squatter families, who have to be relocated to other places.



“The land acquisition process will complete after relocating the squatters and compensating the private land owners,” a senior engineer at the CAAN told myrepublica.com. The next step will be to conduct a feasibility study on the cost of the project and location of integral components in the airport. The government has agreed in principal to hand over the task of carrying out the survey work to Landmark Worldwide, a Korean company.



The first meeting with the company representatives has already been held. The government is planning to hold another one soon. The meeting is expected to discuss on the cost for feasibility study.



“If the government agrees on the amount proposed by the Korean company, the survey will begin soon,” the official said.



The Korean company has pledged to finish the feasibility study within six months. “But considering the political instability, it might take up to nine months,” a CAAN source said.



As per the decision, the government will construct the new airport under the Build Own Operate Transfer (BOOT) model. Under this model of public-private partnership, the government gives the responsibility of building all required infrastructures to the private sector and allows it to operate and generate income for a certain period of time. After completion of the lease period, the private sector has to hand over the infrastructure to the government.

Related story

CAAN asks activists not to scuttle Nijgadh airport project (wit...