Out of 32 airports, 13 earn profit

KATHMANDU: 13 out of  32 airports earned the profit. Tribhuvan International Airport in Kathmandu is among the 13 airports is running in profit.

The airports running in profit in the previous fiscal year include Chandragadhi, Biratnagar, Simara, Pokhara, Gautam Buddha, Nepalgunj, Dhangadhi, Lukla, Janakpur, Bharatpur, Jomsom and Simikot.

The airports have not given returns as per the investments made. They are only meeting the annual general expenditure of the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN).

CAAN Director General, Rajan Pokharel said the airports hardly meet the annual general expenses.

The profit is not included in the development of expenditure. CAAN’s total earning last fiscal year was Rs 8 billion, including Rs 2 billion in airport charge. This amount cannot be considered as profit as compared to the annual budget.

More than Rs 45 billion budget had been allocated to CAAN in last fiscal year. The government has apportioned Rs 46.965 billion for the next fiscal year 2019/20.