TIA to close 10 hours daily for 5 months for major upgrades

KATHMANDU: Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA) will shut down for 10 hours daily starting today as part of a major upgrade project.

According to the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN), the daily closure is required to facilitate ongoing construction and expansion efforts.

The closure will last approximately five months.

The project, managed by CAAN’s Air Transport Capacity Enhancement Project, includes building a parallel taxiway on the airport’s southwest side, expanding the international apron to the north, and extending the hangar apron to the east.

These improvements are expected to cost approximately Rs 15 billion.

To minimize flight disruptions, all flights scheduled between 10:00 p.m. and 8:00 a.m. will be suspended.

Previously, TIA operated daily from 6:00 a.m. until 2:00 a.m.

Project chief Dipendra Shrestha stated that the new parallel taxiway will be constructed adjacent to the main runway to enhance efficiency. He emphasized that the flight suspension is necessary to ensure safety during construction.

Currently, Nepal has three operational international airports: Tribhuvan International Airport, the country’s oldest, Gautam Buddha International Airport in Bhairahawa, and Pokhara International Airport, both of which have been inaugurated recently.

TIA has undergone several upgrades over the years. In 2020, the runway was extended to 3,300 meters, necessitating a 12-hour daily closure from 6:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m.

The southern side of the runway, near Koteshwar (Runway 02), was expanded during this period.

In 2018, TIA closed for 10 hours daily over four months for a full resurfacing project, which affected around 30% of domestic and international flights.

Currently, TIA handles flights from 19 domestic airlines, including 11 helicopter operators, and 30 international airlines, including three Nepali carriers.

The airport typically manages over 300 domestic flights and approximately 100 international flights each day.