Starting today, Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA) has extended its operational hours to 18 hours daily, now open from 6:00 AM to 12:00 AM. This improvement comes after a five-month long renovation process, which began on Kartik 23 and concluded on Chaitra 18. During this period, the airport had been closed for 10 hours daily for physical infrastructure upgrades aimed at increasing its capacity.
According to the Airport Director, Jagannath Niraula, the significant upgrade work includes the completion of a taxiway link, which connects the runway to the taxiways. The construction of a parallel taxiway is still ongoing. Additionally, under the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN), several expansion projects are underway, including the construction of a parallel taxiway to the southwest of the airport, an international apron to the north, and a hangar apron to the east.
These expansion efforts are part of the Air Traffic Capacity Enhancement Project and are expected to cost approximately NPR 15 billion. Dipendra Shrestha, the project head, mentioned that about 90% of the work has already been completed.
Though most of the required nighttime structural works have been finished, the project is expected to take another year and a half for full completion. These developments are aimed at enhancing the airport’s operational efficiency, catering to an increasing number of international and domestic flights while providing better services to passengers.
