TIA upgrade to see the light of day in 18 Months

KATHMANDU, MAY 16: The upgrade works going on at the Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA ) is expected to take another year and a half to fully complete. Although construction is progressing steadily, completing the entire project will still require additional time.

The works include the construction of a new taxiway, hangar, and parking areas for international aircraft. According to Dipendra Shrestha, Project Chief of the Air Transport Capacity Enhancement Project under the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN), the construction is being carried out without disrupting regular flight operations.

Initially, from November 9, flight operations were suspended for 10 hours daily—from 10 PM to 8 AM—to facilitate construction. However, from February 2 onward, the closure was reduced to 8 hours per day. “Currently, we are operating flights from 6 AM to midnight while continuing construction work in parallel,” said Shrestha.

Once the taxiway expansion is complete, the broader master plan to transform Tribhuvan into a modern international airport will move forward. This includes the construction of parallel taxiways on both ends of the runway, link roads connecting the runway and parking bays, access roads linking the apron to aircraft parking areas, and the development of a hangar zone. Upon completion, these upgrades will significantly enhance the airport’s overall capacity and facilities. Shrestha estimates that the runway’s capacity will increase by around 20 percent.

According to the Ministry of Culture, Tourism, and Civil Aviation, more than 70 percent of the work has already been completed. With a total project cost of NPR 15 billion, the goal is to complete the remaining construction soon and deliver a fully equipped, high-capacity international airport.