International Flights Diverted Away from Gautam Buddha Airport Disappoint Local Business Community

BHAIRAHAWA, Nov 11: The business community in Bhairahawa has expressed frustration after international flights once again bypassed Gautam Buddha International Airport (GBIA) during diversions from Kathmandu’s Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA).

TIA faced nearly five hours of disruption on Saturday after a technical failure in its airfield lighting system. As a result, Korean Air and Fly Dubai diverted their flights to Delhi and Lucknow, respectively.

Despite Nepal having two additional international airports—in Bhairahawa and Pokhara—neither carrier chose to land there. Local entrepreneurs and residents said they were disheartened by the continued neglect of these facilities, questioning why flights continue diverting to neighboring countries instead of using Nepal’s own alternative airports.

Witnesses reported that both aircraft even passed over Bhairahawa’s airspace without attempting to land. Similar instances occurred last year when Vistara and Fly Dubai flights diverted to Lucknow instead of GBIA.

GBIA, designed as an alternate landing site for Kathmandu, has seen only three diverted international flights since its opening, including one from Air China. Inaugurated on May 15, 2022, the national pride project still operates far below capacity, with no regular international flights at present. Local stakeholders say this underutilization undermines Nepal’s tourism prospects and economic aspirations.

Sources familiar with airport operations say GBIA lacks essential support infrastructure for emergency night landings, including proper accommodations and technical services for passengers and crew. A shortage of qualified aviation engineers remains a major deterrent for international airlines.

“There is a ground handling team in Bhairahawa, but it does not include engineers,” said GBIA spokesperson Shyam Kishor Saha, noting that insufficient technical manpower is a key reason flights avoid the airport.

Another factor highlighted is the cheaper aviation fuel available in India. Yet stakeholders argue that Bhairahawa is geographically closer to Kathmandu than Lucknow, making diversions within Nepal both faster and more cost-effective.

Even Nepal Airlines has redirected flights to Lucknow instead of GBIA during past emergencies.

Local business leader Thakur Kumar Shrestha, former chair of the Siddhartha Commerce and Industry Association, criticized the government for failing to promote GBIA effectively. “Saturday’s incident shows that these two regional international airports were built only for namesake,” he said.

Despite being multi-billion-rupee national projects, both Bhairahawa and Pokhara international airports remain largely underutilized, relying mainly on domestic operations. The absence of foreign employment agencies and limited travel service providers has also contributed to low outbound demand.

GBIA remained fully closed from April 2025 except for occasional charter flights. Air Asia resumed two weekly flights only this month. Last winter, the airport handled 12,787 arriving and 11,111 departing passengers.