Kathmandu: The upgrade work at Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA) began on Friday night, with the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN) initiating the expansion of key infrastructure. The project will focus on extending the taxiway to the southwest, expanding the international airport to the north, and developing the hangar apron to the east.

As part of the upgrade, TIA will be closed for 10 hours a day to accommodate construction. The airport will shut down daily from 10:00 PM to 8:00 AM, with the work expected to continue for approximately five months.

In the meantime, the government is pushing forward with plans to operate two other international airports at full capacity: Gautam Buddha International Airport in Bhairahawa and Pokhara International Airport. Several international airlines, including Fly Dubai, Jazeera Airways, and Thai AirAsia, have already begun regular flights from Bhairahawa.

To encourage airlines to operate from these airports, the government has introduced an attractive package, offering various concessions. This move comes after years of limited international flights at the newly operational airports in Bhairahawa and Pokhara.