Jomsom Airport which had been closed from 8th June for runway improvement works is now in the final phase of completion.
Apex Construction Company was awarded the contract for upgrading the runway at a cost of NRs. 90 million and the company has been working in full phase to complete the project on time stated airport enhancement project.
Jomsom airport has been stated to be closed till 24th June. Till now, around 85 percent of work has been accomplished.
Jomsom airport enhancement project was started around 4 months ago and was halted due to adverse weather condition.
The airport currently has 3-centimeter thick pitched runway and during the renovation time, black bituminous materials are set to be added to an additional four centimeters.
Along with the runway project, the airport enhancement also includes fencing around the airport to minimize impact erosion of Kaligandaki River, taxiway renovation, fencing and sewage works.
The contractor company has been using around half a dozen equipment and around 2 dozen workers for the project.
The impact of the closure of the airport for more than 2 weeks has been seen at nearby markets. Tourists have been opting for the roadway to travel to Annapurna Conservation Area trails as well as to Mustang.
Jomsom Airport had been facing problems in operation due to the damaged old runway and some incident has occurred previously.
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.
