Inaguration of Pokhara International Airport
31 May 2016 – The first day of New Year is getting marked up by the laying of Foundation Stone of construction of Pokhara Regional International Airport. The Minister of Tourism and Civil Aviation Aananda Prashad Pokhrel officially announced this information in Pokhara today. Minister Pokhrel informed about this during a meeting of Highest Level Support Committee of the Airport also announcing that Prime Minister K.P. Oli would be the chief guest of the ceremony scheduled for Baisakh 01, 2073 (April 13, 2016). And also there will be the presence of highest level government officials in the inauguration ceremony of Pokhara International Airport.
Minister Pokhrel has promised to keep the airports name according to the wish of public people and suggested the removal of ‘Regional” from the airport’s name since there will be direct flights to India and China from the airport after the construction is accomplished.
Authorities of Airport had reserved 3 Thousands 1 Hundred and 6 Ropanis of land before 40 years for the construction of the International Airport and are now reserving additional of 6 Hundred 29 Ropanis of more land for the construction. The compensation of the 90% of land has been already reimbursed to the people, informed the chief of Project Mr. Pradeep Adhikari.
Prime Minister K.P. Oli and Chinese representative Lee Khachhayang agreed to pass the loan to Nepal Government for construction of the Pokhara International Airport on Chaitra 8 during Prime Minister’s visit to China. China has agreed to provide an easy loan to Nepal for the construction.
The Chinese Construction Company CAMC is going to construct the International Airport for which the contract amount of 215 Million US Dollars (21 Arba Nepali Rupees) has been allocated. The amount will be obtained from the loan from China.
CAMC Construction Company is supposed to finish the construction work before 3 years excluding the designing time. The airport is going to be built under EPC model. After the completion of the construction, it would be handed over to Civil Aviation of Nepal. The construction company is not supposed to raise the price of construction under any circumstances.
The wide body aircrafts like Boeing 757, Airbus 330 and narrow body aircraft like Airbus 320 would be able to land on the runway of newly built International Airport. After the construction the Pokhara International Airport will be able to handle 10 lakh passengers and tourists.
Video: Pokhara International Airport; Embed from Youtube
The area covered by Pokhara Domestic Airport now is 1 Thousand and 1 Hundred and 56 Ropanis. The airport having a current runway length of 1 Thousand 4 Hundred and 97 Meters and width of 30 Meters and will have capacity of handling 120 passengers per hour after construction. The Airport lies at Pokhara ward 7 now and the newly constructed will cover Pokhara ward 14, 15 and 18.
The Chinese authorities have already made the researches and inspections about the soil of land where runway and other structures will be built.
