Radheshyam Bishwakarma, Nepal News Bank
Bhairahawa. Bhairahawa-based Gautam Buddha International Airport (GBIA) is still waiting for regular international flights even after four years of its operation as the second international airport of Nepal.
The airport is deserted even though modern infrastructure is ready. Therefore, at this time, there is a debate at the public level whether the problem is of passengers or government policy.
From the outside of the airport, it seems that all the preparations have been completed. Although modern terminal, runway of international standard, immigration and security arrangements are all ready, regular international flights have not been able to take place.
The airport, which came into operation four years ago with great expectations, now looks deserted.
Although charter flights come here and there from time to time, regular international flights have not returned yet.
According to the airport administration, Thai Air Asia operated a Bangkok-Bhairahawa flight last time.
But after March, that too stopped. Currently, there are no regular international flights until October.
According to Shyam Kishor Sah, acting general manager of Gautam Buddha International Airport, the problem is not the lack of passengers.
The system of bringing passengers to the ship is weak. According to Saha, Kathmandu-based travel agency and General Sales Agent (GSA) did not play the expected role in promoting flights from Bhairahawa.
Most of the international airlines in Nepal are based in Kathmandu.
Therefore, the entire business from ticket sales to passenger management is limited to the capital.
This has had a direct impact on Bhairahawa. The airport administration has raised another question about its own national flag carrier. The airport administration believes that if Nepal Airlines and Himalayan Airlines started regular flights, it would send a positive message to foreign companies as well.
The private sector says the problem is deeper. According to Chandra Bahadur Thapa, president of Nepal Association of Tour and Travel Agents-NATTA-Lumbini Province, the government has not been able to formulate a clear policy to operate the second international airport.
According to him, flights targeting Buddha Circuit should be focused on Bhairahawa to reduce the excessive air pressure of Kathmandu.
He suggested that the air service agreement with India should be reviewed.
According to Thapa, the ban on foreign tourists with e-visa from India to enter India via Belahiya has also weakened the possibility of Buddha Circuit. Thakur Kumar Shrestha, president of the Federation of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FNCCI), Lumbini Province, said that this is not just Rupandehi’s airport.
It is the common international gateway of millions of citizens west of Narayani.
According to him, if Nepal Airlines starts a regular flight daily, it will send a positive message to the market.
He also suggested that cargo service should be started if passenger flights are not possible immediately.
The airport is equipped with the state-of-the-art Instrument Landing System (ILS).
This system is considered to be an important infrastructure of Nepal for landing aircraft even in low visibility. However, some of its protection areas are in the Indian territory, so the necessary consent has not been reached yet.
There is no lack of infrastructure at Gautam Buddha International Airport.
The government has also waived various fees to attract airlines. However, the policy decisions required for regular flights, effective diplomatic initiatives with India, empowerment of the local travel market and the activism of the national flag carrier have not been seen yet.
This is the reason why even after four years, Nepal’s second international airport is still waiting for regular international flights.
The Bhairahawa airport which was started in 2021 BS from Ghase Air Ground has been operational from its current location as a domestic airport in 2023 BS. The then Prime Minister Sushil Koirala had laid the foundation stone for the construction of the airport on January 14, 2014.
The then Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba had inaugurated the airport on May 15, 2012.
The airport is spread over eight hundred bighas of land and has a runway of three kilometers.
There are nine fire engines of the ninth category at the airport of the 4E category. Tribhuvan International Airport can park up to five international aircraft, including four narrow-body and one wide-body aircraft ।
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