Minister of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation (MoCTCA) Mr. Rabindra Adhikari is optimistic about reaching the aim of welcoming around 2 million tourists in 2020.
During a press meet on Wednesday at Jhapa, Minister Adhikari stated that they are positive about reaching their aim as around 1.2 million tourists have visited the country in 2018 only and added that they are working on to bring every airports of Nepal into operation.
Minister also informed that the work of two international airport Gautam Buddha International airport (GBIA) and Pokhara Regional International airport are being carried out so as to be completed within 2019 and 2020 simultaneously. Test flights and commercial operation of GBIA will be commenced from 2019 so as to aid in tourists flow to and from country.
GBIA has also received flight proposal from Buddhist countries and government has been working on air routes required for international flights and selecting foreign airlines for GBIA. The project is being carried out in the aim of completing the construction work by June 28, 2019.
Alongside, the process to carry out work for second International airport at Nijgadh to be carried out on G to G formality is also being carried out keeping environmental impacts on mind. He also added that process to operate night flights at 9 airports of the country within this year is also going on.
Minister Adhikari also inspected the Chandragadhi airport located at Jhapa that has finally completed the runway lights installation work along with tourist sites at the area.
Presently, the night flights are available from TIA to Biratnagar, Bhairahawa, Nepalgunj and Dhangadhi and preparations are on to connect Chandragadhi and Janakpur, two more destinations to the schedule very soon.
