TIA extends night closure time for infrastructure expansion

January 27, 2025, 03:03:27 PM |

KATHMANDU: Due to ongoing infrastructure expansion, Tribhuvan International Airport, which has been closing at 10 PM, will now shut operations at 11 PM and reopen at 7 AM starting Saturday, February 2, 2025. Since November 9, 2024, flights were halted from 10 PM to allow construction work, including the international apron, parallel taxiways, and hangar development.

Earlier, the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN) had issued a NOTAM suspending flights from 10 PM to 8 AM until March 31, 2025 (18 Chaitra 2081), facilitating three separate projects within the airport premises.

According to Dipendra Shrestha, Director of the Aviation Capacity Enhancement Project at Sinamangal, the runway’s critical construction work has been completed, reducing the suspension period from 10 hours to 8 hours daily. “The major complex tasks linked to the runway are now completed,” he said, adding, “We have gained an additional two hours for flight operations.” Approximately 40% of the physical work across all three projects has been completed, and the airport aims to serve nearly 10 million passengers annually by 2026.

The joint investment of around NPR 7 billion by the Government of Nepal and CAAN is financing the construction of the international apron and taxiway connecting it to the northern runway. This project, which began on August 20, 2020, is expected to be completed by February 2026, with Chinese contractor AVIC International leading the work.

The second project involves constructing hangar infrastructure in the eastern section of the airport. This area will serve airlines like Nepal Airlines, Yeti Airlines, and Shree Airlines and is being built with a budget of NPR 4 billion. The project started in November 2022 and is slated for completion by October 2026, funded 78% through loans from the Asian Development Bank and 22% by CAAN. The construction consortium includes Chinese companies AVIC, KDN, and CCECC JV.

The third project involves the construction of a parallel taxiway along the runway. Initiated in December 2022, this NPR 4 billion project is also scheduled for completion by October 2026. The work is being executed by Chinese company Gansu.

Fiscal Nepal |

Monday January 27, 2025, 03:03:27 PM |