KATHMANDU, Feb 15: The expansion of the taxiways of the Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA) has reached halfway but the concerned authorities now claim that the taxiway expansion would be completed in the set deadline, but other construction works cannot be completed on time.
According to the Director of CAAN's Air Transport Capacity Enhancement Project, Dipendra Shrestha, the construction works for the taxiway expansion would be completed by March 31 as per the deadline set by the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN).
“About fifty percent of the construction works in the taxiway expansion, including the construction of the sub-base course, drainage, taxiway culvert and installation of airfield ground light duct have been completed but the work for laying the asphalt treated base and the asphalt concrete surface has not been completed,” he said, “The work of expanding the taxiway, which is being constructed around 75 meters away on either sides of the central part of the runway, can be completed by the set deadline of March 31.”
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At present, the airport has a parallel taxiway in the southwest, a hangar in the east and an international apron and taxiway in the north-south. The CAAN is constructing seven taxiways connected to the runway at a cost of Rs 7.25 billion.
While the construction works for the expansion of the taxiways seem to be progressing as per the set schedule, the remaining construction works might not be completed on time. Officials from the CAAN have said that the airport might be closed for other construction works even after the expansion of the taxiways is completed.
Information Officer of the CAAN Gyanendra Bhul told Republica that the airport will be closed for six hours a day during the night from March 31 and that the airline operators have already been informed about this update.
“Even after the construction works for the expansion of the taxiways are completed, there would still be other construction works, including the expansion of the hangar area, which would still be incomplete by March 31,” he said, “We will facilitate flights in the regular pre-construction operation period of 18 hours to ensure that flights are not affected and carry out the remaining construction works in the night similar to the current schedule.”
Nepal’s busiest airport TIA has been closing for an extended period of time in the night to facilitate the construction works for the expansion of infrastructures. The airport, which used to operate for 18 hours under normal circumstances, had only been operating for 14 hours (8 am to 10 pm) since the construction works began on November 8. From February 2, CAAN extended the operation hours by two hours (7 am to 11 pm) with the goal of facilitating more flights and easing passenger movement at the airport. Officials had then claimed that over 60 percent of the construction works at the airport were completed.
Information Officer Bhul told Republica that the airport will facilitate flights in its regular 18 hours operation period (6 am to 12 pm) starting from April 1, after the construction works for the taxiway expansion is completed.
