Nepal waives charges to woo int'l flights to new airport

Nepal has decided to waive several charges for one year for international airlines conducting flights to the country's newly-opened Gautam Buddha International Airport.

The decision by the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN) on a 100-percent waiver of charges, including for landing, parking, communication, navigation aid and security check, will be effective from May 28.

"We granted a waiver of fees as part of marketing of the new international airport to woo international airlines to operate their flights in this new airport," Deo Chandra Lal Karn, CAAN's spokesperson, told Xinhua on Tuesday.

"By operating international flights, an international airline can get a waiver of fees of around 2,000 U.S. dollars per flight," he added.

On May 16, Kuwait-based Jazeera Airways became the first foreign airline to land at Gautam Buddha International Airport, the second of its kind in Nepal situated in the southwestern city of Bhairahawa.

"It is conducting three flights a week in the new airport," said Karn. "Many other international airlines have also notified us that they are assessing whether to conduct flights in the new airport."

The new airport, about 280 km from the capital of Kathmandu, is expected to be the main gateway to Lord Buddha's birthplace in Lumbini nearby. It is also intended to serve as an alternative and backup to the overcrowded Tribhuvan International Airport in Kathmandu.