MANMA, Nov 30: The runway of the under-construction Suntharali Airport at Kotwada of Naraharinath Rural Municipality-1 in Kalikot district is being blacktopped. The blacktopping of the 690-meter long and 60-meter wide runway is aimed to be completed by mid-February next year, according to Nagendra Bista, chairperson of Narharinath Rural Municipality.
The construction of the airport started in 2042 BS. A tower for the airport has been already built while the construction process has picked pace after a long hiatus, Bista said.
Successful test flight at Suntharali Airport in Kalikot
Baliraj Bista, a local resident, shared that the construction of the airport was delayed owing to various reasons such as the decade-long Maoist insurgency and recent COVID-19 pandemic among others. According to him, the locals here are excited to board an airplane once the airport comes into operation.
The airport authority has aimed to bring the airport into full operation within the current fiscal year. Gauri Parbati/Shyam and Shankar JV have been awarded contracts to blacktop the runway, cut the drain in the airport area among others for which a contract worth Rs 138 million was awarded to them.
