The process of making Biratnagar Airport an international airport is under way. The airport had already completed international standard 2 years ago and the procedure to extend current runway size from 1500 meter length and 30 meter wide to 2400 meter length and 45 meter is going on.
Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation Minister Rabindra Adhikari visited the airport to check the current status of the airport and stated that government is also preparing to extend the airport to international standard and also instructed Civil Aviation Authority to start providing compensation for acquiring the land required for extending the airport. He also insisted to complete construction of Taxiway and parking area within 1 year and stated not to worry about budget and finance.
Director General of CAAN Sanjeev Gautam said that they are planning to increase the airport area from 78 hectare to 150 hectare. He also said that there are big houses in eastern area of the airport and small settlement in west for which the CAAN is managing.
Around 69 crore NPR has been separated for compensation to expand airport by 4 and half bigha among which 39 crore has already been allocated and rest 40 crore is also being allocated added Gautam. After the completion of the airport it is expected to generate 8-9 arba capital every year.
In past, flights to Solukhumbu, Khotang, Taplejung, Okhaldhunga, Bhojpur, Sankhuwasabha was being done from Biratnagar airport but now it has been reduced to Tumlingtar airport only. The construction of the international airport at Biratnagar is expected to decrease air traffic of Tribhuwan International Airport.
