MPs urge swift operation of Gautam Buddha and Pokhara international airports

KATHMANDU: Members of Parliament have urged the swift operation of the Gautam Buddha and Pokhara international airports, calling on authorities to put the facilities to full use.

At a meeting of the International Relations and Tourism Committee of the House of Representatives on Friday, lawmakers pressed the relevant agencies to prepare an action plan to maximise the use of the airports, which were built with investments running into billions.

Some committee members also called for an investigation into why the two airports are not yet fully operational, saying the reasons behind the limited use must be clarified.

Committee members Jagdish Kharel, Dr Arjun Kumar Karki, Ganesh Karki, Ganesh Bahadur Bishwakarma, Taufiq Ahmad Khan, Renuka Kauchha, Ram Lama, Prashant Upreti and Anushka Shrestha voiced concern about the current status of the airports.

Members of Parliament attend a meeting of the International Relations and Tourism Committee of the House of Representatives at Singha Durbar, Kathmandu, on Friday, June 12, 2026. Discussions focused on the operational status of international airports — Tribhuvan, Pokhara and Gautam Buddha — and on strategic preparations by the ministry and the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal to remove Nepal from the European Union’s aviation blacklist. Photo: RSS

Members of Parliament attend a meeting of the International Relations and Tourism Committee of the House of Representatives at Singha Durbar, Kathmandu, on Friday, June 12, 2026. Discussions focused on the operational status of international airports — Tribhuvan, Pokhara and Gautam Buddha — and on strategic preparations by the ministry and the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal to remove Nepal from the European Union’s aviation blacklist. Photo: RSS

Committee chair Sumnima Udas said both international airports need to be managed properly to reduce congestion at Tribhuvan International Airport.

(With inputs from RSS)