Flights by several international airlines at Gautam Buddha International Airport in Bhairahawa have been temporarily halted due to low visibility. Citing challenges in landing, Qatar Airways, Jazeera Airways, Flydubai, and Thai AirAsia have suspended their operations, according to airport officials.
The Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN) stated that the airlines decided to pause operations because delays caused by poor visibility were impacting their schedules. According to CAAN spokesperson Gyanendra Bhul, these airlines are expected to resume regular flights after a month.
Spokesperson Bhul confirmed that Jazeera Airways, Flydubai, and Thai AirAsia plan to resume operations on different dates. Flydubai will return on January 13, Jazeera Airways on January 31, and Thai AirAsia on December 26. The airlines have already started ticket sales for their planned return dates.
“Low visibility caused landing difficulties, prompting adjustments in flight schedules. Permissions have already been granted for their resumption,” Bhul explained.
Flydubai has suspended flights from December 15 to January 12, while Jazeera Airways has halted operations from December 14 to January 30. Thai AirAsia stopped its flights a week ago and will resume on December 26. Bhul emphasized that these suspensions are temporary, and all airlines are preparing to resume services.
At present, Nepal Airlines is the only airline conducting international flights at Gautam Buddha International Airport, operating twice weekly on the Kathmandu-Bhairahawa-Dubai route. Nepal Airlines had previously conducted up to four weekly flights on this route but has reduced its frequency.
Earlier, five airlines, including Qatar Airways, Thai AirAsia, Jazeera Airways, Flydubai, and Nepal Airlines, had initiated flights from Bhairahawa due to extended runway closures at Tribhuvan International Airport in Kathmandu. However, Qatar Airways discontinued its Bhairahawa operations on November 30, citing the expiration of its temporary flight permit.
Qatar Airways operated daily commercial flights on the Doha-Bhairahawa-Kathmandu-Doha route using Airbus 330 wide-body aircraft from Kartik 27 until suspending services after 19 days. Despite CAAN requesting Qatar Airways to propose a renewed schedule, the airline has shown no interest in resuming flights from Bhairahawa.
To address visibility issues, CAAN is preparing to implement the Required Navigation Performance Authorization Required (RNP AR) system, a satellite-based navigation technology, from January 23 (Magh 10). This system will enable smaller aircraft to land with a minimum visibility of 800 meters and larger aircraft at 900 meters.
“Airlines have been informed about the new system, and they are conducting the necessary groundwork to comply,” Bhul said, expressing optimism that regular operations will resume once the system is implemented.
During the last month, the airport handled 4,771 passengers, with 2,238 departing and 2,533 arriving. A total of 156 flights were recorded during this period.
Jazeera Airways carried the highest number of passengers (3,034), followed by Flydubai (1,132), Thai AirAsia (447), Qatar Airways (93), and Nepal Airlines (39).
Despite current challenges, Gautam Buddha International Airport continues to make efforts to enhance its infrastructure and flight operations. The implementation of the RNP AR system is expected to address visibility issues, ensuring smoother operations and improved airline connectivity in the future.
