Minister of State for Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation Dhanbahadur Budha launched the rehabilitation of runway and construction of taxi way of Tribhuwan International Airport amid a function today. After the program, runway rehabilitation has begun in a full-fledged manner.

Addressing the program, state minister Budha said that the reconstruction of runway and construction of taxi way is taken to make air service reliable and secure.

Hoping to complete the reconstruction of runway before monsoon, China National Aero Technology International Engineering Corporation will complete the total project in 18 months.

Engineer Baburam Poudel said that following the series of problem and risk at the runway, CAAN has decided to reconstruct the runway. The reconstruction of the runway will be taken after 10 PM when the airport will be completely shut down from 10 PM to 8 AM.

Minister of State Budha said that the reconstruction of runway and extension of taxi way will help to make tourism year 2020 a grand success.

Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN), the regulatory body of aviation sector has put in place upgradation of the runway since last Monday evening. Chief of Air Traffic Controller (ATC), Sitaram Bhandari told Rastriya Samachar Samiti that the flights were being smooth at the airport following the first day renovation works.

Flights landing and takeoff have been running smoothly since 8:00 am today even after renovation, he informed. The narrow-body Airbus of Nepal Airlines was the first to land at the airport today while Jet Airbus was the first to take off.

In order to advance runway rehab, the airport is scheduled to be closed for 10 hours a day for the next three months from April 1. Around 80 meters of the runway was tarmacked in the first day of renovation, informed Director of Air Transport Capacity Enhancement Project of CAAN, Baburam Poudel.

The TIA which has been operational for 22 hours a day would limit its service for 14 hours with the effect of renovation, the airport sources added.

The three-kilometer-long dilapidated runway of TIA would take three months for renovation. The existing pitch of the runway would be removed and new pitch would be rehabilitated during the period.

CAAN had signed a memorandum of understanding with Chinese Company, China National Agro Technology International Engineering Corporation for upgradation of the runway.

The agreement of Rs 3.75 billion was signed with the company for the tarmac king of runway. The CAAN came up with a pan to completely rehabilitate the runway after the cracked runway was creating problems in course of landing and taking off of the aero planes.