Kathmandu. The Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN) has given the final approval to the modality of constructing the Nijgadh International Airport. After Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’ agreed, the Operational Committee of CAAN finalized the modality.
According to the approved modality, the company tasked with building the Nijgadh International Airport will also manage the airports in Tribhuvan, Gautam Buddha, and Pokhara. The construction work is expected to commence within a year.
Before approving, the CAAN Director-General Pradeep Adhikari briefed Prime Minister Dahal about the proposal. As part of attracting foreign investors, Dahal agreed to let the construction company manage three additional international airports. This proposal was well-received, and CAAN passed it through its Operational Committee, and later, it was registered at the Ministry of Tourism and Civil Aviation.
CAAN spokesperson Jagnnath Niroula stated that once the Prime Minister approves, Nijgadh International Airport’s construction modality will progress rapidly. He mentioned that CAAN has submitted the report, including the modality, to the Ministry of Tourism Secretary Buddhisagar Lamichhane, who will oversee civil aviation. Lamichhane is the head of the Civil Aviation Authority.
“Once the Prime Minister approves it, Nijgadh International Airport’s construction modality will move forward swiftly,” said spokesperson Niroula. “The proposal includes allowing the construction company to manage four airports. We are preparing to start the construction work within a year.”
To ensure the attraction of quality foreign companies, the airport management was included in the tender process, according to Niroula. The Cabinet meeting held in October instructed the Ministry of Tourism and Civil Aviation to provide directions to expedite the necessary procedures to move forward after deciding to build an international airport in Nijgadh.
A month later, the Ministry directed CAAN to prepare the groundwork for the construction of Nijgadh International Airport. The proposed modality envisions constructing the airport on 3,845 hectares. In the first phase, if the modality is approved, the airport will be built on 1,933 hectares, estimated to cost around 140 billion Nepalese Rupees.
With the Prime Minister prioritizing this project, the Ministry has formed an independent team of experts to expedite the work through the fast track. The Ministry stated that it is taking necessary measures to avoid procedural delays in the construction process.
The plan to build an international airport in Nijgadh had been in limbo for a decade. The Supreme Court, citing environmental reasons, ordered the halt of construction in the area where work had progressed with the demolition of four hills on June 13, 2079 (May 27, 2022).
Afterward, the government formed a committee led by former Finance Secretary Rameshwar Khanal, with the participation of development planner Dr. Suryaraj Acharya, urban development expert Dr. Sangita Singh, legal expert Dr. Chandrakant Gyawali, among others. The committee, a year ago, presented a report to the government supporting the construction of an airport in Nijgadh.
CAAN, in its report to the committee, has assured that it has identified the area for the construction by fencing it off. The proposal to demolish the four hills is currently in preparation to be presented to the Cabinet.
