KATHMANDU: Runway rehabilitation has begun at the Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA) in a full-fledged manner since last night. The Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN), which is the regulatory body of aviation sector, has been entrusted for the up-gradation of the runway.
Sitaram Bhandari, Chief at the Air Traffic Controller (ATC), informed that the landing and takeoff of flights have not been disturbed. According to him, a Narrow Body Airbus of Nepal Airlines landed at the TIA this morning while and Jet Airbus took off of its first flight.
Domestic flights are also being operated smoothly from the airport.
The TIA has been closed for 10 hours a day for the next three months from April 1 for rehabilitation. Around 80 meters of the runway have been blacktopped in the first day of renovation, according to Baburam Poudel, Director of Air Transport Capacity Enhancement Project of CAAN.
The TIA would limit its service for 14 hours with the effect of renovation for the next three months.
The airport would remain open from 8.00 am to 10 pm every day during the rehabilitation. Earlier, the TIA was providing service from 6.00 am to 3.00 am.
In the course of rehab, the existing pitch of the runway would be removed and new pitch would be rehabilitated.
The CAAN had signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with a Chinese Company, China National Agro Technology International Engineering Corporation for up-gradation of runway. The agreement of Rs 3.75 billion was signed with the company for the blacktopping of runway.
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