Kathmandu – The long-standing ban on aircraft landing from the northern point (Runway-Two Zero) of Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA) has been lifted as of Sunday night, marking a significant milestone in the airport’s operational capabilities.
The ban, which had been in place since March 20, 2008, was initially imposed to facilitate the construction of a taxiway connecting both ends of the airport’s 3,500-meter runway. This construction required the shortening of the runway by 226 meters to the south. As a result, aircraft landing from the north, including mountain flights and domestic flights from the Buddhist side, were prohibited. Additionally, some international long-haul flights had to reduce their operations.
“From Monday, the runway of Kathmandu Airport will be maintained at the same distance,” said Engineer Dipendra Shrestha, director of the Air Transport Capacity Enhancement Project. “The final construction work was completed on Sunday night.”
During the construction period, two new taxiways were added above the existing Alpha Taxiway, which previously serviced the runway. These new taxiways will accommodate large jet aircraft, facilitating their movement to and from the international apron, which is set to be relocated to the north soon.
The ban on northern landings was initially expected to last for three months starting from April 1. However, the construction company managed to complete the work on both taxiways within 77 days. This swift completion is expected to significantly increase the capacity of TIA’s runway, allowing aircraft to use the parallel taxiways efficiently.
Director Shrestha noted, “The construction of parallel taxiways on the north runway will further enhance the capacity of Kathmandu airport. Now, crews can take aircraft up to the threshold from the Alpha Taxiway to the north.” Consequently, the previous restrictions requiring international airlines to reduce passenger and cargo weight have also been lifted.
The upgrades at TIA are part of a broader master plan developed by the Asian Development Bank in 2016. This plan envisions the airport serving 10 million passengers annually and includes the construction of aprons for 16 narrow-body aircraft, an end-to-end parallel taxiway for aircraft entry and departure from both ends of the runway, an aircraft maintenance hangar, and other essential infrastructure.
With these improvements, Tribhuvan International Airport is poised to handle increased traffic and provide better services to passengers, strengthening its position as a key aviation hub in the region.
