Himal Press 
Minister for Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation Badri Prasad Pandey
KATHMANDU: Minister for Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation, Badri Prasad Pandey, has said that the modality for the construction and operation of the Nijgadh International Airport will be finalized soon.
Speaking at a meeting of the National Assembly’s Committee on Federalism Enablement and National Concerns on Thursday, Minister Pandey said the airport development should be prioritized. “Although Nijgadh is a national pride project, uncertainty still surrounds it. In this year’s budget, we have expressed our commitment to finalizing its construction and operational modality,” he said. “We will move forward with this task promptly.”
The government has identified Nijgadh Airport as an alternative to the Tribhuvan International Airport in Kathmandu, which has already reached optimum capacity utilization. The construction of a 72-kilometer expressway linking Nijgadh with Kathmandu has already begun. Passengers landing at Nijgadh can reach Kathmandu in less than an hour using this expressway.
He also said the government has initiated plans to boost air traffic at Gautam Buddha International Airport in Bhairahawa and Pokhara International Airport. “Some airlines operating at these airports have reported losses amounting to millions due to low passenger turnout,” he noted. “To attract international airlines, we need to provide labour-related services — such as work permit issuance and health checks — directly at these airports.”
Pandey further said that the ministry is working in coordination with provincial governments to operate small aircraft at airfields in the hilly regions.
