Chinese firm to develop Nepal's second international airport

The Nepal government Thursday signed an agreement with a Chinese company for developing the second international airport in the Himalayan country.

Ratish Chandra Lal Suman, chief of Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN), the aviation regulatory body in the country, and Luo Yan, chairman and president of China CAMC Engineering Co., signed the memorandum of understanding (MoU) at the CAAN office in Kathmandu, Xinhua reported.

With this, construction of Pokhara Regional International Airport is set to start.

The Nepal government has been planning to develop the airport as an alternative for the existing Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA) in Kathmandu, the country's only international airport for the last four decades.

During Thursday's signing ceremony, Luo said her company would spare no effort to ensure every international standard is met while constructing the airport.

She also expressed commitment to accomplish the project within the set time frame.

According to the MoU, the Chinese contractor would complete the project within three years from the day construction starts.

"This agreement is a milestone in Nepal's aviation history," Suman said.

Nepal's Aviation Secretary Bhim Prashad Acharya and the Chinese Ambassador to Nepal Wu Chuntai was also present in the ceremony.