Initiation starts for flight entry to GBIA via Mahendranagar

By Our Correspondent

Bhairahawa, Oct.20: The government has started an initiative to make Mahendranagar – a city in the south western border with India – an entry point for flights to the Gautam Buddha International Airport (GBIA) in Bhairahawa, Rupandehi district.

It had initiated negotiations with India for the approval of a new air entry point via Mahendranagar about a year ago for the airport at the gateway of Lumbini – the birthplace of Lord Budddha, that came into operation about five months ago. 

Aviation experts have said that the LIMA 626 (the air route passing over Mahendranagar) is suitable for Mahendranagar entry point for international airlines to and from Pokhara International Airport (PIA), and Tribhuvan International Airport in Kathmandu along with the GBIA, Bhairahawa. 

Currently, international airlines entering Nepal are using the GULF 598 entry point at Simra in Bara district. This entry point is suitable for TIA and Nijgadh Airport which is going to be developed in future but not the airports like GBIA and PIA. 

But for GBIA and PIA, the Simara route is not considered very appropriate. Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation (MoCTCA) is taking diplomatic initiatives to hold talks with India for the use of all the three points of Bhairahawa, Nepalgunj and Mahendranagar, according to Mahendranagar Airport administration. 

General Manager of Mahendranagar Airport, Govinda Prasad Dahal, said that with the opening of the Mahendranagar entry point, air travel to and from all airports including TIA, GBIA, PIA and Nijgadh airport would be easier. 

Likewise, if Mahendranagar becomes an entry point, it would be easy to make GBIA fully operational. If an aircraft reaches GBIA from Mahendranagar entry point rather than from Simra, there would be a 20-minute gap. It means the travel to GBIA would be shortened by 20 minutes if the western route is used. 

At present, India has allowed airlines to fly out of only the Bhairahawa entry point for international flights. Aviation expert and former senior pilot Kiran Bikram Chhetri said that if the government takes the initiative, Mahendranagar would be the most suitable air entry point.

With the use of Mahendranagar entry point, aircraft could be easily landed at the airports in Bhairahawa and Pokhara. But when Bhairahawa entry point is opened, India has to provide a route at a lower altitude. For that, if an aircraft is allowed to come down to 20,000 feet, it would be easy, but if it is allowed to come to an altitude of above 25,000 feet, it would not be easy. 

According to Chhetri, the alternative to Bhairahawa route is Dang, not Nepalgunj. 

But India has not given this entry point because of air pressure in Bagdogra, Jogwani, Raxaul and Gorakhpur. Simra is suitable as an entry point for the international airport that is going to be built in Nijgarh. 

Nepal had previously demanded the use of Janakpur and Biratnagar entry points along with these four entry points. 

So far, aircraft of more than 20 companies have been flying regularly from TIA. It includes two-way direct flights to various destinations including India, China, Bangladesh, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Dubai, Japan, Thailand, Singapore, Oman, Muscat, Qatar, Malaysia and Turkey.