According to the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN), Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA) will close for 10 hours daily, starting today, for approximately five months to facilitate major upgrades. The airport will be closed to flights from 10:00 p.m. to 8:00 a.m. for the duration of the construction project.
The Air Transport Capacity Enhancement Project, operating under CAAN, will work on extending the airport’s infrastructure, including building a parallel taxiway on the southwest side, expanding the international apron on the north, and constructing a hangar apron on the eastern side. The project has an estimated cost of NPR 15 billion.
Project Chief Dipendra Shrestha stated that the parallel taxiway is essential for increasing TIA’s operational efficiency and ensuring flight safety. The runway closure aims to minimize risks to flight safety as construction progresses.
This is not the first instance of scheduled closures for improvements at TIA. In 2020, the runway was extended to 3,300 meters, requiring 12-hour nightly closures for months. In 2018, TIA also closed for 10 hours daily over nearly four months for comprehensive runway resurfacing, during which 30% of flights were affected.
Since its establishment, TIA, Nepal’s oldest international airport, has undergone multiple renovations and capacity enhancements. Kathmandu’s international airport currently serves around 19 domestic airlines, including 11 helicopter companies, and nearly 30 international airlines, providing over 300 daily flights on domestic routes and approximately 100 international flights.
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