Tribhuvan International Airport Begins Major Upgrades; Flights to Halt for 10 Hours Daily

The Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA) commenced a significant upgrade project starting Friday night as part of Nepal’s efforts to modernize its primary international airport. The Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN) has outlined a five-month project to expand several key areas at TIA, necessitating a daily shutdown of flights for 10 hours.

The upgrade plan includes extending the parallel taxiway to the airport’s southwest, enlarging the international apron to the north, and expanding the hangar apron on the eastern side. This extensive work requires TIA to close daily from 10:00 p.m. to 8:00 a.m., beginning November 8, to facilitate uninterrupted construction.

Additionally, the government has initiated efforts to operate Nepal’s other international airports—Gautam Buddha International Airport in Bhairahawa and Pokhara International Airport—at full capacity to accommodate travel demand during TIA’s limited hours. Airlines such as Fly Dubai, Jazeera Airways, and Thai AirAsia have already announced regular flights to and from Bhairahawa, marking a significant step toward relieving congestion at TIA.

In support of the transition, the government has also introduced a series of incentives for airlines to encourage the use of Bhairahawa and Pokhara airports, which have struggled to attract regular international flights despite being operational for some time. These measures aim to establish Nepal’s secondary airports as viable options for international air travel while reducing reliance on the capital’s increasingly busy hub at TIA.