By A Staff Reporter
Kathmandu, Sept. 12: The physical construction work at the Gautam Buddha International Airport (GBIA) in Bhairahawa has almost completed with 92 per cent progress.
The construction work has completed and installation of lights and equipment is underway at the site, said the Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation.
The contractors -- Civil Aviation Airport Construction Group, China and Aeronautical Radio of Thailand Limited -- have continued the construction work even during the COVID-19 pandemic.
According to the project, although most of the equipment has arrived at the site, the human resource management has become challenging due to the constraints in the international flights because of the pandemic. About 275 workers had been working even during the lockdown period.
Conveyor belt and some electrical items for the runway and taxiway have arrived at the construction site while some are on the way.
The ministry has started the process to bring in 35 Chinese technicians/engineers.
Construction of the GBIA had begun in 2015 with the target to complete it by the end of 2017. The deadline was extended till March 2020, however, it was again delayed.
The Rs. 7.32 billion project is not likely to come into operation in the next six months.