Ministry suggests airports upgradation

Ministry of Tourism and Civil Aviation (MoTCA) has suggested the government to upgrade Tribhuwan International Airport (TIA) and Gautam Buddha Airport in Bhairahawa including Janakpur and Pokhara Airports within this year.

"Since the country is celebrating the year 2011 as Nepal Tourism Year 2011, we have to upgrade some of the airports, where there is over flow of the tourists," said Birendra Kumar Singh, joint secretary at the ministry.

"Upgradation of these airports at the regional level can also help airlines to fly to neighbouring countries bordering cities," he said adding that it would help achieve the target of one million tourists in the year 2011.

"If the government facilitates the airliners to fly in the country -- by upgrading the airports -- and out of the country -- with proper Air Service Agreements (ASA), the national campaign of NTY-2011 could be successful," he added.

According to the new bi-lateral ASA singed between Kathmandu and New Delhi, the earlier 6,000 seats per week has been expanded to one way 30,000 seats per week linking New Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata, Hyderabad and Bangalore, the ministry said adding that with the new agreement now five times more air seats will give a boost to the Indian tourists arrivals.

"With the spirit of the SAARC Charter, Nepal has received the facility to operate air services with unlimited seats to 21points -- Ahmadabad, Amritsar, Aurangabad, Bhubaneswar, Kalikot, Cochin, Gaya, Goa, Guwahati, Jayapur, Khajrao, Lucknow, Patna, Portblaire, Tiruwananthapuram, Tiruchilapalli, Banaras, Bishhakapatna and three more points to Bagdogra, Deharadun and Gorakhpur," it added. "Nepal also gets the facility to operate any of the destination in the SAARC region from these points with unlimited seat by the designated airlines."

Earlier, Nepal used to operate air services to seven points of India but now it is expanded to 27 points that according to the ministry will definately help propel Indian tourist flow.

Meanwhile, the government has also started construction of second International Airport at Dumberbaba Nijgad, Bara. It has entered into an agreement with a Korean Company Land Mark World Wide (LMW) that has already started an extensive feasibility study.

Currently two-dozen international airlines fly to Nepal, whereas the ministry has issued 79 licences for the operation of airlines, flying schools, and an aircraft engineering and spare-parts. Among them six are single engine aircraft operators and nine are for sports and entertainment, which are based in Pokhara except one in Kathmandu.

Out of the 12 domestic airlines operators, currently eight are operational as Necon Air, Cosmic Air, Air Nepal and Unity Air are out of business.