The construction of Pokhara Regional international Airport will initiate soon as the pre-construction work is currently going on. According to the airport Project Manager Pradeep Adhikari, “At the present time, the construction of temporary residence for the workers is going on at the project site. We are expecting to start the project after Bhadra 2074 as before that the rainy weather will not support us.”
Construction of Pokhara International Airport (at Chinnedanda-3 km to the east of Pokhara’s present domestic airport) was inaugurated with placing foundation stone by then Prime Minister K.P. Sharma Oli on April 13, 2016. The tender was secured by the Chinese Engineering Company CAMCE. The Company is going to construct the International Airport with projected amount of 215.96 Million US Dollar which is obtained via loan from Exim Bank of China. Due to prolonged process in acquiring loan, the construction of the airport experienced some delays. The loan agreement was finalized on 11th July, 2017.
As per the construction plan and the feasibility report, the total length of the runway will be 2500 meters whereas the terminal building will cover 14,000 sq. m. The project is expected to be completed by 2021 subject to some delays.
The aircraft like Boeing 757, Airbus A319, and Airbus A320 will be able to land at the runway of Pokhara Regional International Airport. Also, the airport will be able to handle 10 lakh passengers and tourists.
Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA) is currently the only international airport handling congested air traffic in the country. To decrease the pressure at TIA, some other international airports are under construction namely Pokhara, Nijgadh and Gautam Buddha International Airport however; the construction work is unable to acquire pace and concern from authorities.
