By CK Khanal

Kathmandu, Jun 1: The COVID-19 pandemic has been a boon to the Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA) to complete its ongoing improvement works.
The TIA, which was operating for 21 hours a day, has taken advantage of closure of international and domestic flights due to the recent coronavirus crisis to upgrade and maintain the airport facilities.
Though this pandemic has caused severe repercussion on life of people and economy, it has provided an opportunity to the TIA to complete its ongoing improvement tasks, said Debendra KC, General Manager of the TIA, during a press observation programme organised at the airport on Sunday.
He said that most of the improvement and construction works had almost been completed during the lockdown.
Extension of 300-metre runway, construction of two parking bays and arrival walkway, among others, are the major development works which have reached the final stage during the closure.
Despite the lockdown, the TIA is operating emergency chartered cargo and passenger flights. So far, the TIA has carried around 7,500 air passengers and around 15 million tonnes of cargo after the enforcement of lockdown, KC said.
The expansion works of the 300-metre runway was experiencing time overrun due to the compulsion of the airport to operate 21 hours a day, but this lockdown provided us time to complete the remaining tasks, said Dipendra Shrestha, Spokesperson of the Air Transport Capacity Enhancement Project.
“We had to close the airport to link the newly expanded pavement and existing runway which would be very difficult during normal times. This task has been completed in lockdown,” Shrestha said.
He said that the expansion works were almost completed. Setting up new approach lights and centre lights was left because of constraints in importing them from abroad, he added.
He said that the expansion of the runway was being carried out as per the requirement of International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO).
He said that the expansion of the runway would enhance the safety standard of the TIA and make flight operations easy.
Similarly, the construction of arrival walkway which directly connects the immigration to the taxi parking has also been almost completed, Dipak Malhotra, Managing Director of IMS Group, said. “We are prepared to inaugurate the arrival walkway during the first rescue flights that the government is planning to conduct to bring the migrant workers from aboard,” he said.
After the inauguration of the walkway, arrival passengers directly arrive in taxi parking where their relatives can receive them.
TIA ready to operate flights with safety measures
The TIA has made all preparations to operate both domestic and international flights with required safety measures to control the spread of COVID-19.
General Manager KC said that the TIA had made all preparations to operate both domestic and international flights with safety precautions to combat the spread of coronavirus.
“We can operate flights when the government announces the resumption of air services,” he said The TIA has managed infrastructure and signage for maintaining social distancing and sanitising.
Notices have been attached to every alternate chair restricting to sit and signages have been made on walkway and in front of all services including immigration maintaining safe distance.