Bharatpur airport is currently undergoing various up-gradation and management work. The airport has been undergoing work of improving physical infrastructure and management of equipment rapidly.
Equipment which are essential in the airport but which have not been installed in airport have been brought at the airport along with other infrastructural development work has been going on.
After 57 years of operation, Bharatpur Airport for the first time will be facilitated with the supply, delivery, installation and commissioning of hold baggage inspection X-Ray Machine.
Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN) has already sent luggage scanning equipment costing around 9 million rupees which is scheduled to be set up within a week. Before, due to lack of the scanner, passenger’s luggage were being manually checked by hand.
Similarly, the airport runway ‘over-lay’ work is also being carried out. The 1200 meter runway has not been overlaid till now after its initial construction.
Alongside, work of parking bay is also being carried out simultaneously. Currently only 4 small aircraft or 2 big aircraft can be parked at a time.
Last month, CAAN had reported about vulnerability of the airport to be operated in current situation thus the work of up-gradation has been carried out. The team had suggested that the Bharatpur airport should be upgraded and the work is set to be started so as to operate the airport in modern style in full capacity.
The airport area is also stated to be increased and land belonging to Nepalese Army which is near the airport has been proposed to be feasible for airport expansion.
1200 meters long and 30 meters wide runway could be extended by adding 300 meters. After completion of extension work of parking bay, 4 ATR-72 aircraft can be parked at a time. Presently, 4 Beechcraft aircraft can be parked at a time.
Presently, the Jetstream 41 aircraft of Yeti airlines, Beechcraft 1900C aircraft of Simrik Airlines and ATR 42 series aircraft of Buddha Air having regular scheduled flights in Bharatpur airport have been impacted. Daily 15 landings have been recorded at the airport by airlines like Yeti, Buddha and Simrik Airlines.
The airport which started its service since 1961 has been experiencing momentous growth in air traffic these days and the airport has become narrower after significant increase in air traffic, urbanization and lack of sufficient land infrastructure.
Bharatpur airport conducts 24 flights daily where 1000 air passengers take services every day. The airport has been providing service since 2018 BS to peoples of Hetauda, Tanahu and Gorkha.
