Bhairahawa international airport is newly completed and waiting for the applications for flight slots from international airlines. Bhairahawa is situated in Nepal, Formerly name of Siddharthanagar. Bhairahawa international airport is the Nepal’s second international airport and after 10 years of spending nearly Rs40 billion the airport is finally buid-up. The airport is located in south central Nepal and spread over 533 hectares. With 15,169 square-metre terminal building the airport can serve nearly a million passengers a year. The airport’s also has a 3,000-metre runway which is long enough to handle the largest commercial jets.

Bhairahawa International Airport

The airport’s also has a 3,000-metre runway which is long enough to handle the largest commercial jets.

On this Pradeep Adhikari director general of the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal said that, “The calibration of important navigational equipment of the airport has been completed. We have planned to do a test flight at the airport on April 14, the Nepali New Year. Then on May 16, there will be a commercial take-off from the new airport”. The former director general of the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal Rajan Pokhrel said that, “The construction of the airport suffered several setbacks. Finally, it’s ready. But again, the airport has generated only a tepid response. There are no promotional activities.”

Pradeep Adhikari

Finally, it’s ready. But again, the airport has generated only a tepid response.

After all the facilities as of now no commercial jets wanted to fly to the airport. According to the information observers and the experts say that despite the fact that the countdown to the inauguration begun there was no marketing or promotional campaign was started to attract international airlines. On the birthday of Gautam Buddha which is on May 16 Government has decided to open the doors of the airport. The Bhairahawa international airport project was started in 2009 after the board of the Asian Development Bank approved the South Asia Tourism Infrastructure Development Project in November 2009 to develop and improve tourism infrastructure in Nepal.

Gautam Buddha

On the birthday of Gautam Buddha which is on May 16 Government has decided to open the doors of the airport.

Further Birendra Basnet the managing director of Nepal’s Buddha Air said that, “If you build a new airport, you simply need to make it affordable, largest private carrier. Airlines do not expect subsidies for long periods. But it helps, particularly in the initial airport setup, to encourage airlines to launch services because the subsidy can lower the risk of their entry. Besides, to entice airlines and passengers to create demand, the government should introduce other facilitation measures like opening a labour permit office in Bhairahawa. It needs homework, planning and strategy. For this, there should be political will and vision as well”.

Rajan Pokhrel

It needs homework, planning and strategy.