The Chinese contractor seeks Rs 640 million to complete the Gautam Buddha International Airport (GBIA).
As the minister for Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation Yogesh Bhattarai today directed project officials to complete the project within the designated deadline of December, the contractor Northwest Civil Aviation Airport Construction Company has asked the government to pay Rs 640 million to complete the airport.
Informing the project officials that the government has already requested the Asian Development Bank (ADB) – that has been supporting GBIA financially – to release payments on time to ensure the timely completion of the project, minister Bhattarai – during his visit to the project site – said that the airport completion within the December deadline is a ‘test’ for all project officials and the government itself. “In such a context, all the stakeholders involved in the project should ensure that the project does not miss the deadline this time,” he said, assuring to resolve all logical concerns of the project developer and other stakeholders.
Against the backdrop of project officials and contractors citing ineffective coordination from local governments in Bhairahawa and surrounding districts to supply river-based products to the project, Bhattarai also directed local governments to facilitate the project development. “The government will not tolerate any inconvenience created by the local governments or other groups in the project development of GBIA,” he said,
Earlier, the construction works had been halted for a few months after the local governments in the district did not allow the supply of river products to the project. The Chinese contractor had also complained about difficulties in obtaining river products for the project, which had resulted in a frequent extension in the project completion deadline.
The Northwest Civil Aviation Airport Construction Company had earlier extended the project deadline of GBIA to December. The upgradation of GBIA was started in January 2015, with a target to complete it by December 2017.
The project has been divided into two phases – ICB 01 that includes infrastructural work and ICB 02 that includes installing the equipment – according to the GBIA Project Chief Prabesh Adhikari. “The second phase – that is ICB 02 – is still to begin.”
Though, the project is said to have been completed by some 73 per cent and it was on track to complete and commence operations by December, a source close to the ministry told that minister Bhattarai has recently briefed the ADB – the financier of the project – to complete the project by March 2020. However, the government wants to complete the project before the Vist Nepal Year 2020.
The Rs 6.22-billion contract for the Gautam Buddha Airport upgradation project was awarded to China’s Northwest Civil Aviation Airport Construction Group in November 2013. The airport was slated to be ready by December 2017.
Aeronautical Radio of Thailand – which has been awarded a $4.83 million contract to install communications, navigation and surveillance and air traffic management systems – has only just started manufacturing equipment, according to the chief of the project Prabesh Adhikari.
It will take at least 5 months to manufacture and factory-test the equipment, ship it to Nepal and complete the customs clearance process, before installation of the equipment, and conduct the flight test of the installed equipment,” he said adding that another seven months will be required to complete the project, if everything goes well. “Besides, the airport needs to be certified, which will take some more days.”
In June, the government has decided to appoint Germany’s Munich Airport to provide consultancy services for the operational readiness and airport transfer (ORAT) operation of the airport. As simply completing construction work will not assure operational readiness, ORAT will play a big role in helping the new facility open on time. ORAT is the best way to ensure that every aspect of a new facility functions flawlessly, right from Day One. ORAT consultants work with airport stakeholders to formulate new processes, train staff, and test all new systems and procedures, from passenger and baggage handling to airside operations.
ORAT is the best way to ensure that every aspect of a new facility functions flawlessly, right from Day One. ORAT consultants work with airport stakeholders to formulate new processes, train staff, and test all new systems and procedures—from passenger and baggage handling to airside operations.
“The Cabinet has given approval, in principle, to appoint a foreign consultancy service to operate the airport through a government-to-government deal,” Bhattarai said, adding that the government will look after other modalities and see whether the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN) or others can do the work. “We will soon reach a decision on the operation modality.”
The Rs 6.22-billion contract for the Gautam Buddha International Airport upgradation project was awarded to China’s Northwest Civil Aviation Airport Construction Group in November 2013. The airport was slated to be ready by December 2017.
As of now, the 3,000m long runway and 45m wide taxiway have been prepared, according to the project
As the minister for Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation Yogesh Bhattarai today directed project officials to complete the project within the designated deadline of December, the contractor Northwest Civil Aviation Airport Construction Company has asked the government to pay Rs 640 million to complete the airport.
Informing the project officials that the government has already requested the Asian Development Bank (ADB) – that has been supporting GBIA financially – to release payments on time to ensure the timely completion of the project, minister Bhattarai – during his visit to the project site – said that the airport completion within the December deadline is a ‘test’ for all project officials and the government itself. “In such a context, all the stakeholders involved in the project should ensure that the project does not miss the deadline this time,” he said, assuring to resolve all logical concerns of the project developer and other stakeholders.
Against the backdrop of project officials and contractors citing ineffective coordination from local governments in Bhairahawa and surrounding districts to supply river-based products to the project, Bhattarai also directed local governments to facilitate the project development. “The government will not tolerate any inconvenience created by the local governments or other groups in the project development of GBIA,” he said,
Earlier, the construction works had been halted for a few months after the local governments in the district did not allow the supply of river products to the project. The Chinese contractor had also complained about difficulties in obtaining river products for the project, which had resulted in a frequent extension in the project completion deadline.
The Northwest Civil Aviation Airport Construction Company had earlier extended the project deadline of GBIA to December. The upgradation of GBIA was started in January 2015, with a target to complete it by December 2017.
The project has been divided into two phases – ICB 01 that includes infrastructural work and ICB 02 that includes installing the equipment – according to the GBIA Project Chief Prabesh Adhikari. “The second phase – that is ICB 02 – is still to begin.”
Though, the project is said to have been completed by some 73 per cent and it was on track to complete and commence operations by December, a source close to the ministry told that minister Bhattarai has recently briefed the ADB – the financier of the project – to complete the project by March 2020. However, the government wants to complete the project before the Vist Nepal Year 2020.
The Rs 6.22-billion contract for the Gautam Buddha Airport upgradation project was awarded to China’s Northwest Civil Aviation Airport Construction Group in November 2013. The airport was slated to be ready by December 2017.
Aeronautical Radio of Thailand – which has been awarded a $4.83 million contract to install communications, navigation and surveillance and air traffic management systems – has only just started manufacturing equipment, according to the chief of the project Prabesh Adhikari.
It will take at least 5 months to manufacture and factory-test the equipment, ship it to Nepal and complete the customs clearance process, before installation of the equipment, and conduct the flight test of the installed equipment,” he said adding that another seven months will be required to complete the project, if everything goes well. “Besides, the airport needs to be certified, which will take some more days.”
In June, the government has decided to appoint Germany’s Munich Airport to provide consultancy services for the operational readiness and airport transfer (ORAT) operation of the airport. As simply completing construction work will not assure operational readiness, ORAT will play a big role in helping the new facility open on time. ORAT is the best way to ensure that every aspect of a new facility functions flawlessly, right from Day One. ORAT consultants work with airport stakeholders to formulate new processes, train staff, and test all new systems and procedures, from passenger and baggage handling to airside operations.
ORAT is the best way to ensure that every aspect of a new facility functions flawlessly, right from Day One. ORAT consultants work with airport stakeholders to formulate new processes, train staff, and test all new systems and procedures—from passenger and baggage handling to airside operations.
“The Cabinet has given approval, in principle, to appoint a foreign consultancy service to operate the airport through a government-to-government deal,” Bhattarai said, adding that the government will look after other modalities and see whether the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN) or others can do the work. “We will soon reach a decision on the operation modality.”
The Rs 6.22-billion contract for the Gautam Buddha International Airport upgradation project was awarded to China’s Northwest Civil Aviation Airport Construction Group in November 2013. The airport was slated to be ready by December 2017.
As of now, the 3,000m long runway and 45m wide taxiway have been prepared, according to the project
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