20-year plan to be executed in four phases
NEPALGUNJ, Nov 25: Preparations for upgrading Nepalgunj Airport – one of the busiest airports in western Nepal – has begun.
The government has approved 20-year master plan for upgrading and expansion of the airport. The master plan will be executed in four phases.
Upon completion of the fourth phase, the airport will have necessary infrastructure to operate international flights.
Rajan Pokharel, director-general of Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN), infrastructure development work at the airport is estimated to cost Rs 12 billion.
82 per cent work under Lumbini Master Plan completed
The cost, however, excludes money needed for land acquisition.
“An estimated Rs 12 billion will be needed to implement all four phases,” Pokharel said, adding: “As the master plan has already been approved, work of first phase will start from the current fiscal year itself.”
He also said the new terminal building, which will be built as per the master plan, will have the capacity to handle international passenger traffic.
In the first phase, CAAN will complete land acquisition, build terminal building and apron, and increase length of runway by 200 meters. The airport currently has a 1,500-meter runway. Work of first phase is targeted to complete by 2023.
According to Pokharel, construction of apron has already begun. It is expected to be ready by mid-April next year. “We have begun tender process for expansion of runway. The runway will be expanded toward western side,” he added.
Works related to road diversion, bridge construction and runway upgradation will take executed in the second phase, according to CAAN.
CAAN needs to change the course of Daduwa River and acquire necessary land to complete works included in the master plan.
Pradip Adhikari, a director at CAAN, said all works included in the first phase of the master plan will be completed by 2023. “We will start works of second phase thereafter,” he added.
Similarly, Nalbikram Thapa, a deputy manager cum engineer at CAAN, said that master plan cannot be implemented without acquiring land. “We have a 2,000-sq ft terminal building at present. After expansion, terminal building will spread over 8,000 sq ft,” he said, adding that new infrastructure will be built toward eastern side of the airport.
According to Thapa, the airport will have security building and cargo terminal by the end of the master plan period i.e. 2040.
