Nepal presses India for airspace as its main airport exceeds capacity

By Grace Kim

Tribhuvan International Airport is operating at 120% of capacity, Nepal’s Minister for Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation Khadkaraj (Ganesh) Paudel said in London on November 5. At the Britain-Nepal Chamber of Commerce’s Tuesday event, he said the government planned fuller use of the international airports in Bhairahawa and Pokhara.

The main gateway therefore exceeds its nominal capacity by 20%, based on Paudel’s figure. Spreading traffic is sensible; obtaining permission to operate international services is the harder part.

What does Indian airspace change?

Nepal is seeking permission to use Indian airspace for international flights, Paudel said during the chamber event. India is building a regional airport in Motihari, Bihar, which might itself require Nepalese airspace, making the request a two-way issue rather than a one-sided favour.

The government is pursuing the matter with India and will raise it at the highest level during Prime Minister Balendra Shah’s upcoming visit to India. Paudel said: “Talks on the matter are moving in a positive direction.” Diplomatic momentum, however, remains an objective rather than an operating permission.

Access to Indian airspace would make it easier to operate international flights from Gautam Buddha International Airport in Bhairahawa. If airlines used that option, the airport could take some pressure off Tribhuvan, already running at 120% capacity. The proposal would change network options, but it did not establish a schedule or confirmed traffic diversion.

Why has the EU not followed ICAO?

Nepal’s aviation sector has appeared on the EU safety list since 2013. The International Civil Aviation Organization removed Nepal from its list of countries with significant safety concerns in 2018, but the EU restrictions remain in place.

Paudel said the government was pursuing diplomatic efforts to make the EU lift its restrictions on Nepali airlines. His remarks supplied no removal date or timetable, so the 2018 ICAO decision has not yet become EU clearance. For network planners, the distinction is simple: one international body has removed Nepal, while the European Union continues to apply its own restriction.

Can the airport plan absorb more traffic?

Paudel’s airport plan rests on three named facilities. Two already exist; the third remains a development goal.

• Bhairahawa: Paudel said the government plans fuller use of this existing international airport, while Indian airspace access could make its international flights easier to operate.
• Pokhara: Paudel also included this existing international airport in the government’s plan for fuller use and traffic distribution.
• Nijgadh: Paudel said Nepal needs to build the proposed airport to develop the country into an international transit hub.

Only Nijgadh would add a gateway, and only once construction occurs. Paudel’s London remarks gave no construction timetable, capital cost or passenger forecast, leaving the proposal without the figures needed to test its capacity case. Tribhuvan’s 120% utilisation makes that arithmetic harder to ignore.

Paudel said Nepal was coordinating with Sri Lanka, Vietnam, Thailand and Japan to bring more Buddhist tourists to Lumbini. He also committed the country to becoming a destination for yoga, meditation and wellness tourism.

While in the UK for the World Travel Market, the minister said he had met counterparts from various countries. These campaigns seek passenger growth; airport capacity determines how much of that demand becomes flights.

What changes for non-resident Nepalis?

Rastriya Swantantra Party lawmaker Manish Jha, head of the party’s expatriate committee, described non-resident Nepalis as a think tank rather than merely donors. He pledged that legislation to implement non-resident Nepali citizenship would be drafted within the next three months.

Jha said: “We urge NRNs to contribute their skills, networks and resources to Nepal’s prosperity. We must move forward together.” The three-month target creates a draft, not an enacted citizenship right.

Britain-Nepal Chamber of Commerce President Biraj Bhatta said the organisation had worked since its establishment to promote trade and investment between Nepal and the UK. He urged the government to make it easier for non-resident Nepalis to invest and remove administrative hurdles.

Chamber CEO Steve Buckley and former president Rajan Kandel spoke about opportunities and challenges in trade and investment. Vice-President Indra Giri welcomed participants and introduced the speakers, before Paudel and Jha answered questions from attendees.

The next test comes during Shah’s India visit: a formal airspace permission could give Bhairahawa’s international expansion an operating basis. The EU campaign and three-month citizenship draft remain commitments, not completed changes.