• Disturbance was witnessed in area control and approach control frequencies

Kathmandu, January 8

A number of flights scheduled to depart from Tribhuvan International Airport to both domestic and international destinations were affected for two hours this morning following disturbance in the voice communication control system.

Rajkumar Chhetri, general manager of TIA, said disturbance in communication frequency was noticed at 8:45am and could not be rectified till 10.45am, affecting all the outbound flights during the period.

Up to 12 domestic and international outbound flights from TIA were affected following the technical error, according to TIA officials.

There are three communication frequencies at TIA, namely tower control frequency, area control frequency and approach control frequency. According to TIA officials, disturbance was witnessed in area control and approach control frequencies this morning. “However, inbound flights were not affected as there was no disturbance in the tower control frequency,” said Pratap Tiwari, spokesperson for TIA.

According to him, the disturbance in the voice communication control system was witnessed primarily due to the problem in power supply.

The operation of flights at TIA is routinely affected due to the recurring technical problems as low priority has been given to keep flight operations efficient. In recent years, frequent damage to the runway has hampered TIA operation time and again.

Though the operation of Gautam Buddha International Airport is likely to be crucial in reducing flight pressure at TIA (especially international flights), its operation is still uncertain despite the government’s claim that GBIA’s construction will be completed within the next few months.