Kathmandu: The Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA) in Kathmandu experienced nearly five hours of disruption due to technical issues with its airfield lighting on Saturday. This incident led to Korean Air and Fly Dubai diverting their flights to Delhi and Lucknow, respectively.
According to National News Agency Nepal, the diversion of international flights away from Gautam Buddha International Airport, even during emergencies, has disappointed many, particularly within the business sector. Despite the presence of two additional international airports in Nepal-Gautam Buddha International Airport and Pokhara International Airport-foreign flights often choose neighboring countries’ airports for diversion. This pattern has raised concerns among local industrialists and businesspeople.
In a recent incident, pilots from both diverted flights chose not to land at the nearby Bhairahawa airport, opting instead to fly over the area. This is not an isolated incident; similar diversions occurred last year when Vistara Air and Fly Dubai flights diverted to Lucknow. Although Gautam Buddha International Airport is considered an alternative facility for emergency landings, only three flights have used it for such purposes so far, with Air China being one of them.
The airport, part of a national pride project that began operations on May 15, 2022, has not been fully utilized, impacting Nepal’s efforts to boost tourism and the economy. Limited regular flights and the lack of passenger accommodation and crew facilities during emergency landings at night have been cited as contributing factors.
Additionally, the price of aviation fuel, which is cheaper in India, is believed to influence airlines’ decisions to divert to Indian airports. Interestingly, Bhairahawa airport is geographically closer to Kathmandu than Lucknow, yet even Nepal Airlines opts for Lucknow in similar situations. Some argue that landing within Nepal would be more cost-effective.
Shyam Kishor Saha, spokesperson for Gautam Buddha International Airport, attributed the issue to a lack of qualified technical staff. He noted that while there is a ground handling team in Bhairahawa, it lacks engineers, explaining why international flights avoid diverting there.
Criticism has also been directed at the government for not making adequate efforts to enhance the airport’s functionality. Local business leader Thakur Kumar Shrestha expressed concerns about the absence of diplomatic initiatives to promote the airport, suggesting that the recent incident highlights the limited effectiveness of these regional international airports.
Despite being multi-million-rupee projects, the airports in Pokhara and Bhairahawa rely heavily on domestic flights. The absence of foreign employment agencies and travel agencies to generate demand for international flights is seen as a key factor in their current state.
Gautam Buddha International Airport was completely closed from April 2025, though some chartered flights operated during this period. As of this month, Air Asia has started operating two flights per week. During the previous winter schedule, the airport recorded arrivals of 12,787 passengers, with 11,111 departures.