-KATHMANDU
The aviation regulator body, Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN) is making progressive to start domestic night flights from duo airports (Chandragadhi and Jankpur Airport) to cope the growing air passengers’ demand from the duo airports.
CAAN’s Director General for CAAN, Mr. Sanjiv Gautam, alleged in a sentence that “we are preparing its budget to provide necessary technical infrastructures and promote the night flight to those airports. The authorities have planned to commence the night flights within the seven months. We are presently working to separate the budget and will announce global tender for the purchase of runway lights.”
The certification to conduct night flight at the duo airport has already been accomplished along with the design for Chandragadhi Airport, following the design for Janakpur Airport being made progressive.
Dhangadhi Airport, one of the busiest domestic airports at the Far Western of the country had commenced the night flight operation after the successful proving flight by the Buddha Air. The CAAN had established RNAV (Area Navigation) GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) Instrument Approach Procedure on March at the airport with the new navigation procedure which has assistance the airline operator to conduct Instrument Flight Rules (IFR) procedure and night flight at the airport.
At present, only TIA, Nepalgunj, Bhairahawa, Simara, Biratnagar and Dhangadhi airports operate flight at night which has capacity to land ATR-72 model planes except in Simara. After the commencement of flight in these two areas, CAAN plans to launch night flights in other big airports in Terai region. This will help to demise the hectic traffic TIA has to face as it operates both national and international flights in narrow structure which has been problem for slot management that causes planes to hold in air for certain time.
Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation (MoCTCA), Mr. Rabindra Adhikari previously had urged about finding ideal ways to deal with the air traffic congestion. CAAN rumors that the operation of night flights in congested airports was started on the urging of Minister Adhikari. CAAN had previously started night flights in Dhangadi Airport in Province 7.
