The city of Pokhara, known as the tourist and commercial hub of Western Nepal, is set to have its own international airport. The construction of project was formally launched on Wednesday by the Minister for Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation, Jitendra Narayan Dev.

The proposed project, which was envisioned way back in 1975, is being built under the engineering-procurement-construction (EPC) model where the contractor has to bear the expenses in case of cost overrun. It is likely to be completed by July 2021.

The airport will have separate international and domestic terminals, four boarding rooms and other modern facilities.  It can handle medium size jet flights such as Boeing 757 and Airbus 320 on its runway, which would be 2,500 meters long and 45 meters wide.

While the construction of the airport is expected to accelerate the development of the city, it is also likely to cause problems such as uncontrolled migration and traffic congestion. Ananda Raj Mulmi, former president of the Federation of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce and Industry, has called for upgradation of the city roads to overcome the traffic congestion issue.

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