Govt to spend Rs. 335.6 billion in aviation infrastructure

Kathmandu, Feb. 5

The government is spending Rs. 335.6 billion to create aviation infrastructure in the next five years.

Of the total budget, Rs. 39.6 billion will be used to acquire land needed for the infrastructure projects and Rs. 296 billion will be used for the development of the projects like airports, logistics and buildings.

According to the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN), the domestic infrastructure development will receive Rs. 80.6 billion and the rest will go to the development of international facilities.

However, the largest sum of money, about Rs. 150 billion would be used to develop international airport in Nijgadh of Bara district. The budget is only for the first phase of infrastructure development, more budget would be allocated for further development of the project.

Minister for Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation Yogesh Bhattarai said that the airport in Nijgadh would come into operation within five years.

“It is a national dream and a game changer project and there are not big hurdles in developing the infrastructure,” he said while speaking at a press meet organised by the CAAN. “Tangiya village is a public land and 1400 families in the village are in the process of being resettled. We have sent the list of the people to be evacuated to the Ministry of Land Reform,” he added.

He reiterated his commitment to gather about a million people at the project site in the stone-laying day.

Minister Bhattarai also said that the Zurich Airport, the company selected for the project development by the Investment Board of Nepal, would submit the investment and development details within 15 days.

The remaining budget would be spent on the Gautam Buddha International Airport in Bhairahawa and Pokhara International Airport. Rs. 5 billion will be spent on land acquisition.

Likewise, Rs. 46 billion budget for domestic infrastructure development will be spent to upgrade Biratnagar, Nepalgunj, Dhangadhi and Mahendranagar airports as the regional international standard airports.

According to Director of CAAN Pradeep Adhikari, the aviation sector regulator had already prepared the master plan for these regional airports.

He said that the airports in the mountains would be upgraded for the operation of ATR42-600 aircraft within next five years, and terminal buildings would be designed with the latest facilities and technology. The airports will have night landing facilities.

Bharatpur and Surkhet airports’ runways will be extended to operate night landing and take-off facilities.

All the airports in Terai region will be upgraded to make them fit to operate small size Boeing and Airbus. Small aircraft have incurred operating costs in the part of both the government and private sector.

“We have decided to focus on the expansion of the capacity of the airports across the country. Small airports have forced to operate flight services with 19-seater aircraft which has made the travel costlier,” said Adhikari.

All Terai airports will have at least 11-centimetre thick runways which will bear the weight of the large-size aircraft. All of them will also be able to operate night landing facilities.

“We are trying to make the airports commercially viable. Airports should be service-oriented while maintaining their operation cost on their own,” said Minister Bhattarai.

The federal government is forging cooperation with the state and local governments in aviation infrastructure development. The role of subnational government will be to help in acquiring the land and federal government will develop the infrastructure, said the minister.

Published in The Rising Nepal daily in 6 February 2020.