There were high hopes that the operation of the Gautam Buddha International Airport (GBIA) in Lumbini would serve as an alternative to Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA), which has already proven to be too small to handle the country’s growing air traffic. But the disturbing news that has come in less than eight months of its operation suggests that the much-hyped GBIA is likely to go out of business.

KATHMANDU, Oct 30: Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA) halted both international and domestic flights for more than two hours on Monday morning to clear air traffic for President Bidhya Devi Bhandari’s flight to Qatar.