Our top priority to operate two international airports: Tourism Minister

KATHMANDU, NOVEMBER 10: Minister for Culture, Tourism, and Civil Aviation, Badri Prasad Pandey, announced that the top priority has been given to making Bhairahawa-based Gautam Buddha International Airport and Kaski-based Pokhara International Airport fully operational.

In a press release issued yesterday, Minister Pandey emphasized that immediately after assuming office, he placed the operation of these two airports at the forefront. "Upon taking charge of the ministry, we prioritized these airport projects and advanced the work process accordingly," he stated. He added, "We established a recommendation committee comprising representatives from relevant ministries and acted on their advice, which included reducing fuel prices and exempting certain taxes. Consequently, current flights have become feasible."

He also mentioned that international chartered flights began at Pokhara International Airport this week, with ongoing efforts to increase the number of flights. Minister Pandey highlighted his significant investment in the airports and stressed the importance of developing integrated infrastructure, such as transportation, hotels, and streamlined immigration services, to maximize the airports' potential.

While acknowledging that it will take time for all necessary infrastructure to be fully in place and for passengers and airlines to adapt, he assured that the government is committed to completing these tasks gradually. He noted that major projects like international airports require time to become fully operational. "Although Bhairahawa Airport's construction is complete, technical challenges, such as setting up operational equipment like the Instrument Landing System (ILS) and securing air route permissions from neighboring India, remain under discussion," he explained.

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