Run GBIA In Full Force

What now should be a place of hustle and bustle lies largely deserted. Gautam Buddha International Airport (GBIA) in Bhairahawa, Rupandehi district, had drawn much interest from a wide circle even before its construction was in the works. The news prompted many people to migrate and settle there in the hope of seizing on the booming business the airport would bring. Hotels catering to every sort of visitors – from budget to business class – have been set up. The surrounding saw investments amounting to billions pouring in from home and abroad. Real estate prices skyrocketed.  Locals and new settlers were excited that there would be a turnaround in their fortune. But nearly a year after its completion, the airport has seen far fewer flights taking off from or landing on its runway than it should. This should be a cause for concern. 

Built with the aim of relieving the Tribhuvan International Airport from congestion at the cost of Rs. 43 billion, the GBIA was expected to be a game changer in the aviation industry of the country and bringing many tourists to Lumbini, the most sacred site for Buddhists around the world, as well as to other national destinations. Problems related to air routes and delays in the installation of necessary equipment are cited to be the major reasons keeping airlines from flying to and from the airport. And talks with India, experts say, are needed to sort out the issue. 

Kuwait’s Jazeera Airways started flying from the very day of its inauguration, conducting two flights a week. However, in October it stopped flying, citing very poor visibility resulting from bad winter weather. But the Airways resumed flying in March this year. Now alongside Jazeera, Himalayan Airlines is currently operating charter flights from here. At present the airport has Category 1 and Category 2 Instrument Landing System (ILS) but needs additional advanced machines belonging to Category 2 to enable aircraft landings in bad weather as well. But installing those machines means using India’s territory and so requires approval from the southern neighbour. 

The problem is not that only a very few airlines are willing to fly to Bhairahawa – in fact, those from over two countries are keen on doing do – but only that certain confusions are keeping them from formally approaching the Nepali authorities, according to a key official of the airport. Such doubts revolve around profits, sustainability, security and ground services. Some have even said that the government is to blame for the problem. If foreign flights are few and far between, they demand national flag carrier, the Nepal Airlines, be prompted to fly here so that the economy could be reinvigorated.   

Given such a scenario, this is high time for the government to spring into action. Because infrastructure and other resources are already up and running, making sure the airport is in full-fledged operation must not be a herculean task. First and foremost, it needs to start talks with India and persuade it to allow the installation of the Category 2 machines. Given deep and unshakable bond between the two countries, this must not be an insurmountable issue. More importantly, Nepal needs to convince the neighbour that the situation will be of win-win for both.