Nepal airport under renovation amid lockdown

Kathmandu: While Nepal is under a lockdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA) here is being renovated to resume flight operations soon, a spokesperson said. Taking advantage of the lockdown, TIA management has improved the facilities of both domestic and international terminals to help maintain social distancing and hygiene at the airport, The Himalayan Times reported on Thursday citing Dev Chandra Lal Karna, spokesperson for the airport, as saying.

"The 3,000-metre runway has been extended to 3,300 metres. Similarly, construction of parking bay and construction of new departure boarding gates have been completed so far," he said, adding: "The immigration area has also been renovated." The number of parking bays has been increased to 13 from nine.

Construction of six new departure boarding gates has also been completed, while the old departure lounge area has been demolished. "After a few months, a new entry for the arriving passengers will be introduced with health desk facilities," he said.