TIA to resume 21-hour operation from July

Tribhuwan International Airport (TIA) is preparing to resume operation for 21-hours-a-day from next month as the runway rehabilitation project is going to be completed before the deadline of June 30.
Currently, the airport is closed for 10 hours every day from 10:00 pm to 8:00am for runway rehabilitation work, according to the general manager of TIA Raj Kumar Chhetri. “The rehabilitation work will be finished within 10 days,” he said, adding that a final phase of rehabilitation work is going on at the moment. “Considering the speed of the current work, it is likely to be completed within 10 days.”
China National Aero-technology International Engineering Corporation is rehabilitating the runway of TIA, at present. After completing the runway rehabilitation, the notice to airmen (NOTAM) will be removed and TIA will begin the construction of taxiway and parking bays from September 1.
The two new parking bays constructed on eastern side of TIA have already been inaugurated on June 2. The parking bays have a capacity of two wide-body aircraft and one ATR-72 plane. But remaining two parking bays – with the capacity to accommodate two wide-body aircraft – will be constructed on the southern side of the airport from September 1. It is targeted to be completed by December 31.
The TIA that has been facing congestion with around 400 flights – including 100 international flights –being operated from TIA every day will have less congestion after the upgradation.
Though, the runway of an international airport needs to be renovated every 10 years – according to the international practice – the TIA runway is getting renovated for the first time since its construction.

Tourism ministry seeks clarification from TIA

The government has asked clarification from general manager of Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA) Raj Kumar Chhetri for allowing FlyDubai to take-off after 10:00 pm, going against the notice for airmen (NOTAM).
The Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation (MoCTCA) has sought clarification from the TIA for allowing FlyDubai to take-off after 10:00 pm, confirmed spokespersom of the ministry Ghanashyam Upadhyaya. "It is against the law to break NOTAM rule," he said, adding that the ministry has asked written clarification with TIA management on why it breached the NOTAM rule and allowed FlyDubai to take-off on Tuesday night. "The ministry will take strict action against TIA management, if the ministry does not receive a justifiable reason."
Though TIA has been closing all flight operations for 10 hours from 10:00 pm to 8:00 am since April 1 for the runway rehabilitation work, the TIA management had allowed FlyDubai to take-off after 10:00pm on Tuesday night.
The FlyDubai aircraft was scheduled to depart from TIA for Dubai at 8:40 pm but departed at 10:17 pm on Tuesday night, after getting green signal from the TIA top management. The Issuing the NOTAM a few months back, TIA has begun rehabilitation and extension of the runway. However, going against the rule, TIA permitted the aircraft to take-off after 10 pm on Tuesday night. But the TIA – on April 3 – had refused to allow a Dubai-bound Nepal Airlines Corporation (NAC) flight from taking off at 10.04 pm citing the same NOTAM.
The NAC aircraft was all set for take-off but the airport management stopped the aircraft. The incident raised several questions on why the national flag carrier has always been made victim and the international airliners are always given more than level playing field. According to NAC, the captain of the concerned flight had sought four extra minutes to take-off, however the airport refused to extend the departure time as it would be against the NOTAM. The delay cost the NAC not only money but also the credibility, though it has been trying to rebuild its lost glory. But on Tuesday night, the same TIA management allowed 17 extra minutes to FlyDubai to take-off. The incident has been seen as trying to push the national flag carrier to the red and tarnish its credibility.
Though, general manager of TIA Raj Kumar Chhetri said the airport had allowed the FlyDubai aircraft to take-off looking at the convenience of passengers onboard, he tried to skip the answer on why TIA stopped the NAC flight to take off on April 3 as the national flag carrier flight was only 4 minuted late.
"On April 3, I was in Hong Kong to attend the Asia-Pacific-World Annual General Assembly conference of the Airport Council International," he said, adding that no one was there to take a decision.
"The FlyDubai pilot had already completed the pushback of the aircraft and was all set to take-off,” he said, adding that all the passengers would have to suffer at the last moment. But he could not justify why the passengers of the NAC flight on April 3 were left to suffer and NAC was made to loose money and credibility.
The CAAN has, however, blamed the NAC’s management and the captain for the cancellation of the flight. According to CAAN, all decisions related to the operation of the airport are taken by the aerodrome duty officer, not the air traffic control (ATC). But officials of NAC based at TIA had not coordinated with the aerodrome duty officer before cancelling the flight.

Domestic airline companies issue travel alert for passengers

Domestic airlines today issued a travel alert as the Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA) will remain shut for 10 hours from tomorrow evening for runway rehabilitation and expansion work. The only international airport that also houses the domestic one will remain closed from 10pm to 8am every day for 45 days till June 30 for maintenance. Based on a notice to airmen (NOTAM) issued by the TIA, the domestic airline companies have issued a travel alert about the changes in their flight schedule for the convenience of the passengers.
Due to NOTAM, Yeti Airlines and Tara Air – owned by the same group – reduced some 13 flights a day including six mountain flights in the morning. "Apart from mountain flights, one regular flight to Bhairahawa, Tumlingtar and Bharatpur each has also been reduced till the next notice is issued," the airliner stated a press note. "Likewise, two flights to each to Bharatpur and Pokhara have also been reduced from the regular schedule."
Likewise, Buddha Air also issued a travel alert last week – on March 26 – revising the time schedule for flights. "Currently we are not planning to reduce the number of regular flights," marketing director of Buddha Air Rupesh Joshi said, adding that they will not cut down the flight numbers, if rescheduling flights help maintain the schedule. "If necessary, we will also reduce few flights, though we are trying to reschedule as much flights."
Simrik Air has also already issued its travel alert – a month back – cancelling its pre-booked flights to Lukla.
Meanwhile, almost all mountain flights from Kathmandu have been cancelled for the coming 45 days, whereas all flights to Lukla airport from TIA have been diverted to the Manthali airport of Ramechhap.
The TIA’s runway was built in 1975. Though, according to international practice, runways of international airports should be refurbished with new bitumen every 10 years, the TIA has never done that. A Chinese company – China National Aero Technology International Engineering Corporation – is working on the project.