Pokhara, July 29:

Pokhara Airport is becoming increasingly congested due to the increased number of arrival of passengers. The runway at Pokhara airport was blacktopped in 1996 and it was estimated then that the runway would be able to cope up with passenger inflow for ten years to come. However, airport officials agree that the airport is getting uncomfortably congested now.

Pokharelis have been demanding for quite some time now for the construction of a new regional-level airport as soon as possible. Chief of Civil Aviation Authority in Pokhara, Devendra K C informed that 25 to 30 flights take off from Pokhara for different destinations daily, the maximum number of flights being 54 ever, according to existing records. 120 people can be accommodated in the departure lounge of the airport. Eight small and five big airplanes can land at a time in the airport. However, there are no facilities for night flights.

According to airport officials, a total of 1,05,883 passengers landed here in 2004, while 1,13, 956 passengers took off from the airport. 2003 statistics for take off and landing of passengers is lesser by 6,494 and 1,674 respectively than 2004. Pokhara airport was constructed at a total investment of Rs 100 million under the Tourism Infrastructure Development Project. Five flights of Buddha Air, seven of Cosmic Air, four of Yeti Air, three of Gorkha Air and three flights of RNAC are take off daily from this airport to different places. Most of the flights are for Kathmandu. However, some flights for Jomsom by Cosmic and Gorkha Air and for Bharatpur by RNAC and Yeti Air are also being conducted.