Revamping Nepal’s Airports for World-class Service
Nepal’s economy, fueled by tourism, is being turned on its head through long-overdue investment and infrastructural expansion. Kathmandu’s Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA) – Nepal’s solitary, isolated worldwide air gateway to almost all of the country’s 69 years – has for too long been Nepalis’ and foreigners’ nemesis. No more.
They talk about international-grade airports, Gautam Buddha International Airport (GBIA) in Lumbini and Pokhara International Airport (PIA) in Pokhara, as national assets. They are not buildings; they are entrances to some of the most stunning natural, cultural, and spiritual beauty of the world.
Let us see in immediate proximity how each of these airports is changing the mode of travel and within Nepal, local economic growth, and opening up to business and tourism.
1. Gautam Buddha International Airport (GBIA), Lumbini: A Spiritual Gateway with Global Potential
Overview
Gautam Buddha International Airport (GBIA) at Siddharthanagar in Rupandehi District is Nepal’s second international airport and a hub of Buddhist and regional tourism. GBIA, located only 20 kilometers from Lumbini, spiritual birthplace of Lord Buddha, has been envisioned with a plan of welcoming Buddhist pilgrims and cultural tourists from across Asia and the globe. The airport opened international flights in May 2022, which has been a godsend for the travelers who otherwise would make an emergency landing in Kathmandu and then would need to embark on a journey of several hours by land to reach as far as Lumbini.
Supported by a partnership with the OPEC Fund for International Development and the Asian Development Bank, GBIA has a 3,000-meter wide-body runway and can harbor wide-body aircraft such as the Boeing 777 and Airbus A330. GBIA possesses new customs and immigration buildings and international passenger terminals, and domestic facilities.
GBIA is already at the negotiating table and already exists in Kuala Lumpur, Delhi, Sharjah, and other parts of the world. For pilgrim tourists, GBIA is faster, faster access to one of the most beautiful sites in the Buddhist world. GBIA will create more jobs, impromptu enterprises, and new opportunities for the transport and hospitality industries in Nepal. GBIA, with growing investment and air traffic, will be a contemporary pilgrimage center not only for Nepal but the whole South Asia region.
Key Technical Specifications
Runway Length: 3,000 meters
Altitude: 358 feet above sea level
Passenger Capacity: 1 million per year
Aircraft Capacity: Can accommodate Boeing 777s and Airbus A330s
Cost: Approximately USD 76 million (ADB and OPEC Fund-financed)
Instrumentation of the runway with Instrument Landing Systems (ILS) to enable landing in poor weather conditions. Accompanied by the new air traffic control tower building, the cargo terminal building complex, the customs and immigration complex, and two domestic and international terminal building complexes.
Religious Significance
Lumbini is the most sacred place for Buddhists. The travelers would have had to fly to Kathmandu and take an additional 7-8 hours to arrive at Lumbini. Direct flights from Kuala Lumpur or New Delhi, and now they are only 30 minutes from the sacred place.
Regional Hub
The airport is situated near the Indian border (30 km from Sunauli) and can therefore be a useful regional hub for cross-border business and tourism.
Accessibility to Pilgrimage Circuit:
GBIA offers direct access to the broader Buddhist pilgrimage circuit—Kapilvastu, Tilaurakot, Devdaha, and other spiritual and archaeological sites.
Airlines and Routes
GBIA offers direct connectivity from and to:
- Malaysia (Kuala Lumpur)
- India (Delhi)
- United Arab Emirates (Sharjah)
Other airlines too will be upgraded as the demand is growing. The Nepalese Government is also in talks with Thai Airways, Sri Lankan Airlines, South Korean Airlines, and Japanese Airlines—countries with huge Buddhist population.
Local Economic Impact
- Employment: Hundreds of direct and indirect jobs in aviation, hospitality, and tourism.
- Hospitality Boom: Rapid growth in hotels, restaurants, and tour operators in Lumbini and Siddharthanagar.
- Logistics Development: Rise in transport businesses and local guide services.
- Spillover Benefits: Regions like Palpa, Chitwan, and Tansen are seeing increased tourism traffic due to improved accessibility.
2. Pokhara International Airport (PIA): The New Frontier for Adventure and Leisure Tourism
Overview
Pokhara International Airport (PIA) in the heart of the country’s adventure tourism hub was inaugurated in January 2023. The airport, surrounded by hills and offering a scenic view of the Annapurna series of mountains, has facilitated traveling to Pokhara. Foreign travelers before the world makeover of the airport would have to board an overseas flight and transfer planes at Kathmandu to then fly onward to reach the city of mountains, lakes, and tranquility, Pokhara, on either a domestic flight or a hellish 6–8 hour bus journey. Ever since PIA began resuming international flights, visitors now have an option of bypassing Kathmandu itself and flying directly to the city of hills, lakes, and peace.
Funded by Chinese government money through an Engineering, Procurement, and Construction (EPC) contract, the airport is approximately USD 216 million and features a 2,500-meter runway served by narrow-body aircraft such as Airbus A320s and Boeing 737s. Though foreign flights to Chinese cities were opened under phase one, it will serve Indian, UAE, and Southeast Asian cities.
Important Technical Features
Runway length: 2,500 meters
Altitude: 2,710 feet sabove ea level
Passenger Capacity: 1 million annually (expandable)
Aircraft Type: Medium-haul international aircraft (Airbus A320, Boeing 737)
Cost: USD 216 million (EPC model funded by the Chinese government)
It is equipped with Category I ILS, three aprons, parallel taxiway facilities, and Category I ILS. It is also equipped with its international standard new terminal with immigration, customs, duty-free, and VIP lounges facilities.
Why Pokhara Needed Its Own International Airport
Tourism Demand
Pokhara is a trekking gateway to Annapurna Base Camp, Mardi Himal, and Poon Hill and attracts over 200,000 foreign tourists annually. Higher tourist carrying capacity and experience are realized through direct flight connectivity.
Cultural Attractions
Pokhara attracts cultural tourists by incorporating Phewa Lake, World Peace Pagoda, and Gupteshwor Cave as attractions.
Airlines and Routes
There are hardly any direct international flights until 2024, but the China flights (Kunming and Chengdu) have open. Negotiations with the airlines of:
- India
- Bangladesh
- Thailand
- UAE
Are underway. Domestic flights from Kathmandu city, Bhairahawa, etc., also benefit from flights under the new agreement.
Economic and Social Impact
Boost to Trekking Industry: There can be Kathmandu-free trekking packages by tour operators.
Real Estate Boom: It has witnessed a rise in the development of houses around and near the airport.
Regional Growth: The surrounding regions of Gorkha, Baglung, and Mustang are also witnessing growing spillover tourism.
Why These Airports Make Travel National and International Travel More Convenient?
1. Time-Saving
Tourists are no longer require to make the back trip from GBIA to Kathmandu. One is, for example, able to visit GBIA, travel as high as Lumbini, and fly from PIA following a trek—a saving of 2-3 days of travelling time.
2. Flexible Itineraries
The trips now can now start or stop off in Pokhara or Lumbini, adding additional new flexibility to visitors and tour operators.
3. Eradicating Congestion in Kathmandu
Tribhuvan International Airport keep for high-density long-haul traffic, short-haul flights, and medium-haul flights reroute by the new airports.
4. Regional Tourism Development
Pokhara and Lumbini would be made separate tourist destinations with new investment in hotels, transport, and tourist infrastructure.
Conclusion
Nepal’s tourism and travel sector is at a turning point. The modernization of Gautam Buddha International Airport and Pokhara International Airport is a vision-oriented step. And as the air corridors link out and tourism becomes a gateway, the airports themselves will be at the forefront of change for Nepal—not only a land of hills and monasteries, but a new, international, tourist Nepal. contact us today at Happy Mountain Nepal, on Facebook, Instagram, or TikTok.
FAQs
1. Where are the two new Nepal international airports that recently opened?
Two new Nepal international airports are Gautam Buddha International Airport (GBIA) in Lumbini and Pokhara International Airport (PIA) in Pokhara.
2. Why did they build them?
They built them to decongest Kathmandu Tribhuvan International Airport, boost regional connectivity, and spur tourism and economic development.
3. Where is Gautam Buddha International Airport?
GBIA is located at Siddharthanagar, Rupandehi District, 20 km from Lord Buddha’s birthplace—Lumbini.
4. What is the aircraft size that GBIA and PIA can handle?
GBIA can handle wide-body aircraft like Boeing 777s and Airbus A330s, while PIA can handle narrow-body aircraft like Airbus A320s and Boeing 737s.
5. Are Lumbari and Pokhara international direct flights regularly operating these days?
Yes, GBIA has flights to/from Sharjah, Delhi, and Kuala Lumpur. PIA direct flights between/to Chinese cities of Kunming and Chengdu have already started, and more routes are to be included.
6. How do the airports help the tourists?
They offer direct connection to major tourist destinations like Lumbini and Pokhara, saving time, and offering more flexible itineraries without a Kathmandu stopover.
7. What is the economic benefit of new airports?
The airports have generated jobs, stimulated transport and hospitality businesses, stimulated tourism, and stimulated real estate and infrastructure development in the vicinity of the areas.
8. Are Pokhara International Airport and other airports close to trekking areas?
Yes, PIA is the gateway to the classical trekking areas of Annapurna Base Camp, Mardi Himal, and Poon Hill.
9. What international airlines are most likely to fly into these airports?
The negotiations with Indian, Thai, South Korean, Japanese, UAE, and Sri Lankan airlines are being held with a view to enhancing the international connectivity.
10. How do these airports serve the region’s tourism?
They reduce Kathmandu’s tourist traffic congestion, establish Pokhara and Lumbini as independent destinations, and enhance cross-border tourism from India and other immediate neighbors.