Preparations are underway to expand the Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA) to handle 10 million passengers annually.
According to the master plan of the TIA passed by the Board of Directors of Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN) some time ago, 50 billion rupees are going to be invested in four structures.
Currently, 11 international flights can be parked at the TIA, including wide-body and narrow-body. When the apron and terminal building are ready, acording to the master plan, it is said that up to 22 wide-body and narrow-body planes can be parked at the same time.
The expansion of the airport started with the increase in the number of international passengers in Kathmandu. Three years ago, the runway was expanded with an investment of about Rs 1 billion. The runway which was 3,000 meters before has now been extended to 3,353 meters long.
According to the master plan of the airport, five facilities will be constructed. Of which 3 contracts have been signed. The Board has given approval for the construction of the terminal building.
There are also plans to build aprons (aircraft parking spaces) for 24 domestic airlines. Even though it is mentioned in the master plan, its work has not progressed.
"According to the master plan, more structures cannot be added to TIA," said Dipendra Shrestha, Director of the Air Transport Capacity Enhancement Project of the CAAN.
In the last five months alone, 1 million 843 thousand international passengers have arrived at TIA.
Rs 4.25 billion taxiway: The problem of holding airplanes will be reduced
Although the runway of the airport has been expanded, the parallel taxiway (the road from the parking lot to the runway) is only half. About 500 meters of taxiway has not been constructed on the north side of the runway, while there is no taxiway on the south side of about 1200 meters.
The CAAN has awarded a contract for the construction of a taxiway equal to the runway from north to south.
The number of flights will increase if there is a taxiway parallel to the runway. Now, an aircraft takes off from the middle of the runway and occupies the runway for a long time, resulting in the holding of the airplanes in the sky. Once the parallel taxiway is constructed, the runway does not have to be used for turning the ship. They can take off directly from the taxiway by entering the side of the runway.
"Once the parallel taxiway is built, 4-5 more flights can be landed," said Shrestha, the director of the project.
The distance between the old taxiway and the runway is only 110 meters. According to international standards, the distance between the runway and the taxiway should be 172.5 meters.
The construction of the south parallel runway is under construction at the 4 billion rupees with the ADB loan assistance. Chinese company Gansu Mechanization Construction Engineering is doing the construction work.
New terminal building worth 35 billion, entrance from Tilganga
More than 3.5 million passengers come and go from the international terminal of TIA every year. The CAAN is constructing a terminal building three times larger than the current one, i.e., it can accommodate 10 million passengers annually.
The new terminal building will have an access road from Tilganga. According to the project, most of the Tribhuvan Army Officers Golf Course will be used for the construction of the new terminal building.
The new terminal building will be constructed with six wide-body bridges. The design of the terminal building has been prepared by the French company ADP.
According to the master plan, the current domestic terminal building will be demolished. The terminal currently used by international passengers will be used by domestic passengers.
The design of the terminal building is made as a symbol of Nepal's mountains. The terminal building will be built on an area of 75 thousand square meters. It has duty free shop, commercial space, business lounge and other facilities.
The underground floor will be used for arrival of passengers while the upper floor will be used for departure. The terminal will have green car parking facilities.
The Authority's Board of Directors has already decided to clear the site.
"It is not clear who will invest 35 billion rupees," Shrestha said, "It will be clear about the investment once the site clearance is done."
Nepal Airlines and Army structure being removed
There is also a hangar of Nepal Airlines and barracks of the Nepali Army in the proposed new terminal building. The Authority will construct a new terminal building and apron by giving alternative space to the Nepal Airlines Corporation and the Nepali Army.
At present, there is a hangar of Buddha Air on the east side, where Nepal Airlines and the army are ready to move.
"We make the space structure that airlines need. They will build the building themselves," he said. "We have designed the building of Nepal Airlines. Now they just have to build a structure.'
According to the old master plan of 1990, there was a plan to build an international terminal building on the proposed site. KDN/CCECC has been awarded a Rs 4 billion contract to build Apron and Hangover. The Authority has taken loan assistance from ADB.
Seven billion "remote parking" to accommodate 12 ships
Remote parking and taxiway are being constructed on the north side of the runway. Construction of apron and taxiway is being done at the expense of Nepal government and authorities.
"Now 11 ships can be parked," Shrestha said, "The capacity has doubled. Wide-body can be parked up to 15 and narrow-body up to 30.”
A contract has been awarded for the construction of about 500 meters of taxiway along with remote parking. Six wide-body and six narrow-body parking spaces are available in the parking lot. To board the ship at the remote parking, one has to use the bus from the terminal building as at present.
Avic Company has received the contract for remote parking and northbound taxiway. Project director Shrestha said that it will cost 7 billion rupees excluding VAT.
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