Renovation work of Jomsom Airport located at Mustang has started. The work has been started after it was halted in winter season due to harsh weather.
Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN) has initiated the work of runway up-gradation as well as overlapping old runway.
The runway has 3 centimeter thick blacktopping and now it well be of 4 centimeter thick. Simultaneously, the fences are being changed around the airport so as to minimize the impact of Kali Gandaki river.
CAAN had initiated the project last October at around NRs. 9 Crore and the project is being carried out by ‘Apex Construction’. The construction company had started first phase work but had to halt the work after the weather condition worsened.
The runway renovation project was started as the old runway has met deadline. According to the rules, the runway of airport should be renovated during a period of every 5 to 7 years.
Jomsom Airport had been facing problems in operation due to damaged old runway and some incident has occurred previously.
The work was initiated to be completed within 15 months but now the work has been started to be completed within 2 months.
The work will be carried out when the airport does not operate. The airport closes operation during day time due to high wind speed.
Summit Air and Tara Air have been operating five flights daily at Pokhara-Jomsom air route. Similarly, Jomsom Airport has witnessed increase in helicopter operation following the increase in number of tourists and pilgrims visiting Jomsom.
Daily flights of 20 minutes to and from Pokhara are conducted as planes fly through Kali Gandaki gorge.
After maintenance of the runway, the landing of aircraft will be eased and resulting very less or zero incidents.
Jomsom Airport is a STOL airport located on the bank of the Kali Gandaki River serving Jomsom, a town in the Mustang District of Province No. 4 in Nepal, and the Mustang District. It serves as the gateway to the Mustang District that includes Jomsom, Kagbeni, Tangbe, and Lo Manthang, and to Muktinath temple, which is a popular pilgrimage for Nepalese and Indians.
