Photo: Binod Pariyar
BHAIRAHAWA: The Gautam Buddha International Airport in Bhairahawa was officially inaugurated in April 2022 with great celebration, marking the opening of Nepal’s second international airport after more than 70 years.
Many dignitaries who attended the inauguration ceremony had said that the new airport had set a milestone in Nepal’s aviation history. But all hopes have turned into despair after international flights stopped after just seven months.
Jazeera Airways of Kuwait and Himalaya Airlines, a local carrier, have ceased scheduled flights to and from the Gautam Buddha International Airport citing adverse weather conditions. Himalaya suspended operations on December 16, 2022, and Jazeera followed suit six days later.
Jazeera Airways, which initially operated three flights a week to Bhairahawa, increased its frequency to daily as passenger traffic increased. However, it later decreased the frequency back to three flights a week before stopping all flights on December 22, 2022, due to thick fog at the airport, according to Govinda Dahal, the General Manager of the Gautam Buddha International Airport Civil Aviation Office. “The weather has improved, but the two carriers have not resumed flights,” he added.
Dahal suggested that the cessation of flights by Jazeera Airways and Himalayan Airlines might be due to technical reasons other than the weather, referring to the unavailability of services such as labor permits, visa centers, and health checkup facilities for migrant workers at the airport.
The lack of services for migrant workers at Bhairahawa, such as labor permits and visa centers, has resulted in lower passenger traffic for the airlines. Additionally, the reluctance of other relevant agencies to expand their presence at the Gautam Buddha International Airport (GBIA) is also affecting flight operations.
GBIA Spokesperson Subash Jha stated that international flight operations have been affected as some equipment have not come into operation yet.
Additionally, the proximity of the airport to the Indian border means that aircraft must use Indian airspace to land. As India has only allowed one entry point for aircraft entering Nepal, aircraft coming from the west must enter the Nepali airspace from Simara and then fly westwards to GBIA. This has been one of the deterrents for airlines flying to GBIA.
An Instrument Landing System (ILS) has been installed at the airport to assist aircraft during low visibility conditions. However, operation of the ILS has not been possible due to objections from India, as it affects their airspace. The go-ahead from India is required to activate the ILS, and this can only be achieved at the diplomatic level.
Despite the improvement in weather conditions, airlines have not resumed their flights to GBIA. “We were expecting the airlines to resume flights in February, but they are still unable to operate flights to GBIA. Hopefully, they will resume in March,” he added.
The airport, which has been seen as an alternative to the congested Tribhuvan International Airport in Kathmandu, has the capacity to handle 30-40 flights daily. However, the lack of international flights is resulting in a loss of Rs 3 million rupees daily, and the airport is relying on revenue from domestic carriers to sustain itself.
GBIA primarily serves Lumbini, the birthplace of Buddha, and is expected to be used by Buddhist followers from around the world. However, despite being in the peak pilgrimage season for Lumbini, the airport is not seeing any flights.
The majority of visitors to Lumbini travel during the period of October to March. “Since flights are not operating during the peak season, the airport seems to have no connection with Lumbini. Tourists are unable to use it,” Siddhicharan Bhattarai, treasurer of Lumbini Development Trust, said. “We were excited when the airport was formally inaugurated, but now our expectations have been dashed.”
Billions in stake
Tourism entrepreneurs in Lumbini, Bhairahawa, and surrounding areas had hoped for direct flights from countries such as China, India, Sri Lanka, and Thailand. They invested billions of rupees in building new hotels and other facilities to attract tourists, but now they are worried about their investments.
Bhishma Neupane, chairman of Siddharthanagar Chamber of Commerce and Industry, said the tourism entrepreneurs are in a situation of despair. “Many five-star hotels have been built in the area. Billions of rupees have been invested in these hotels,” Neupane said. “Since international flights are not happening, businesspeople have started to fear for their investment,” he added.
“Why is the national flag carrier – Nepal Airlines Corporation flying from GBIA? Are they waiting for us to submit a memorandum for the same?”
Local businesspeople say the government built the airport, but is showing indifference towards its successful operation.
He called on the Prime Minister and the Tourism Minister to take needful initiatives immediately to resume flights at GBIA.
Businesspeople like Neupane say the government built the airport, but is showing indifference towards its successful operation. Rachana Pant, Chairperson of Nepal Tour and Travel Agents in Lumbini Province, said the absence of international flights at GBIA has disappointed tourism entrepreneurs. “The travel trade was excited about the airport and a lot of investments were made in hotels, travel agencies, and other services. We are naturally disappointed,” she added.
The foundation stone for the Gautam Buddha International Airport (GBIA) was laid on January 15, 2015, and it cost around Rs 30 billion. Spread over nearly 540 hectares, the airport has a 3,000-meter runway that is 45 meters wide and a parking bay for four single-aisle and one double-aisle aircraft.
Meanwhile, the airport has offered a slew of incentives like a 100% waiver on landing, parking and navigation fees for the first year. Likewise, airlines also get a 50% discount on ground handling fees.
