KATHMANDU, Nepal–The Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation (MoCTCA) has instructed the Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA) Office to remain vigilance on the runway, which has been breaking down frequently in the past three years.
Flights were halted four times within two weeks last year when a section of runway got damaged. Around 400-450 flights take off or land at the airport daily during peak tourist season. Likewise, 27 international and 14 domestic airline companies are currently operating flights from TIA.
According to sources, intersection C and D of the runway have been frequently crumbling in TIA.
In the meantime, measuring the contestation at the country’s only one international airport, the runway is being expanded for the first time in over four decades, according to TIA source. Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN) stated that the runway will be expanded 300 meters each on both the northern and southern ends.
It will be extended till Koteshwore in the south and Guheshwori in the north. The runway will be 3,650 meters long after expansion.