Kathmandu Airport Begins 10-Hour Daily Closures for Five-Month Upgrade Project
Tribhuvan International Airport in Kathmandu starts daily 10 hours closed from the 8th of November as a five-month renovation project aimed at enchanting safety and improving operational capacity. The Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal revealed that the airport will now close every day. From 10:00 pm to 8:00 am until March 31, 2025. The airport’s usual hours of operation, which are from 6:00 am to 2:00 am, will be affected due to this project. Kathmandu Airport is Closed Daily for 10 Hours starting from 8th November for a further 5 months.
The renovation work is part of the Air Transport Capacity Enhancement Project and is expected to cost NRs 15 billion. Major construction will include the extension of the southwest taxiway. An extension of the international apron to the north, and an extension to the east of the hangar apron. According to Project Chief Dipendra Shrestha, the southwest taxiway will extend southward to run parallel to the main runway. Reducing taxi times by improving operational efficiency and enhancing safety by decreasing potential congestion on the airfield.
The TIA is Nepal’s oldest and busiest international airport, handling more than 200 domestic flights and over 100 international flights daily. The improvements aim at improving its capacity for such a high volume of air traffic. And also, meeting the standards of international safety. Due to the Capacity Enhancement project, the timing for the temporary closure is expected to affect flight schedules, and CAAN has been working with airlines to mitigate any problem in service.
This is not the first time TIA has faced a shutdown
The ongoing project comes after previous upgrades that involved partial closure. TIA in 2077 BS had resorted to daily 12-hour shutdowns to begin the expansion of the 3,300-meter runway. In 2075 BS, the airport closed for 10 hours daily for four months to complete runway resurfacing. Reducing flight operations temporarily by about 30% is part of its earlier upgrade process.
Aviation infrastructure in Nepal is growing with the increase in air traffic. Currently, Nepal has three international airports, Tribhuvan International Airport, Gautam Buddha International Airport at Lumbini, and Pokhara International Airport. Still central to Nepal’s aviation network after nearly 74 years of service. The upgrades currently underway will ensure TIA remains the country’s main aviation gateway for increasing numbers of travelers into the foreseeable future.
