The much awaited construction of Pokhara Regional International Airport has officially commenced from yesterday. Minister for Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation, Mr. Jitendra Narayan Das reported that Pokhara Regional International Airport would be completed at the specified time. Minister Das also noted that his Ministry committee is all set to co-operate with the project management and hoped that the much awaited Project would be completed on time.
Project Representative, Gerry Yang, Nepal of the China CAMC Engineering Co Ltd, Asia-Pacific Division No 1 Engineering Department Chief noted that the project is expected to be completed by July 10, 2021. “We do not have any problems from the locals; more than 100 technicians and other have been working in the site,” Yang added on the meeting.
The Company is going to construct the International Airport with projected land of 3627 ropanis at Pokhara Lekhnath Metropolitan City along with soft loan of $215.96 million from China Exim Bank.
The Government of Nepal had acquired more than 3106 ropanis of land for the construction of Airport in the area four decades ago and later, 516 ropanis of land were added for the airport of which 13 ropanies of land is yet to be compensated to its owners, according to the project’s General Manager Pradeep Adhikari.
The airport is constructed under the IACO norms set for 4D airports and will have 2500 metres of runway. The wide body aircraft 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, it will be able to handle 10 lakh passengers and tourists. Foundation stones for the project had been laid one year ago by the then Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli.
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
