The Gautam Buddha International Airport (GBIA) in Bhairahawa has operated 729 international flights as of Sunday, with a total of 45,573 passengers arriving and departing. Commercial international flight operations at the airport commenced on May 16, 2022, coinciding with Buddha Purnima.
Over 31.5 months of operation, 21,279 passengers arrived in Bhairahawa, while 24,294 passengers departed. However, operations were interrupted by a 10-month suspension of flights. “We have actively collaborated with various airlines and local businesses to resume regular operations,” said Pratap Babu Tiwari, General Manager of GBIA.
In April/May 2024, the airport office submitted an operational plan to the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN), which was also presented to key government figures, including the Prime Minister, Ministers, and provincial officials.
Acknowledging the challenges posed by winter weather, such as flight delays and diversions, the airport proposed adopting a satellite-based RNP-AR landing procedure as an alternative to the Instrumental Landing System (ILS). The Nepalese government and Cabinet later approved the operational plan, which introduced incentives like discounts on passenger service fees, landing, parking, navigation, and tourism fees, along with fuel discounts and enhanced facilities for visa processing, medical checks, and manpower.
These measures facilitated the resumption of flights, with international operations restarting on November 3 after the 10-month hiatus. Currently, five airlines operate from the airport. In November and December 2024, the airport handled 229 international flights, with 8,157 passengers served. This included 4,383 arrivals, 3,774 departures, and 8,462 transit passengers, among whom 747 were foreign nationals. The majority of foreign travelers arrived via Jazeera Airways (4,357), followed by Fly Dubai (2,089) and Thai AirAsia (1,045).
In 2024, the airport served 9,467 passengers across 297 international flights. However, four of the five airlines, excluding Nepal Airlines, recently suspended operations for various reasons. Fly Dubai is set to resume flights on January 13, while Jazeera Airways will resume operations on January 31.