Photo: The Rising Nepal
BIRATNAGAR, NEPAL: Construction of the new terminal building at Biratnagar Airport has entered its final phase, though the project is set to miss its contracted deadline, which concludes in the Nepali month of Poush.
According to Sanjiv Khadka, an engineer at the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN), overall progress has reached 75 percent. “The civil works have been completed,” he said. “Only the mechanical components remain.” He added that several pieces of airport equipment have already arrived, with others en route; once system installation is complete, the remaining architectural works will move ahead.
Despite the likely delay, Engineer Khadka is confident the terminal will begin operations by the Nepali New Year in April 2026.
The construction contract with KC–Danfe JV was signed in November 2022, followed by the foundation stone laying on February 13, 2023. The terminal spans 16,277 square meters and is being built at a cost of Rs 2.42 billion, excluding VAT. The contractor has so far received 71 percent of the allocated payment.
Project manager Ramesh Poudel said more than 200 workers are deployed daily, though uncertainty before Dashain had briefly halted work and contributed to the delay.
Once completed, Biratnagar’s new terminal will be Nepal’s largest domestic airport terminal. For comparison, the terminal at Pokhara International Airport covers 15,000 square meters, while Gautam Buddha International Airport features a 14,000-square-meter terminal.
The new terminal is being built north of the existing structure, which dates back to 2025 BS. After operations shift to the new building, authorities plan to extend the runway by about 270 meters into the area currently occupied by the old terminal, increasing the existing 1,500-meter length.
Designed to handle up to 550 passengers, the terminal will feature 17 check-in counters, a VIP and VVIP lounge, children’s play area, press conference room, customs and immigration facilities, quarantine services, and commercial areas. The three-storey building will also house four lifts and four escalators.
Tourism entrepreneur Bhavesh Shrestha of Koshi Province said the upgraded terminal could pave the way for mountain flights from Biratnagar, adding that inter-provincial and cross-border flights may also become feasible once the new infrastructure becomes operational, as reported by risingnepaldaily.com.
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