Nepal has inaugurated its second international airport, the Gautam Buddha International Airport (GBIA), in Siddharthanagar (Bhairahawa), Lumbini Province.

The Asian Development Bank supported the government of Nepal in upgrading and building the airport through the South Asia Tourism Infrastructure Development Project.  The total cost of the airport construction was US$76.1 million. Of this, ADB’s contribution was about US$37 million in loans and grants, while the OPEC Fund for International Development contributed about US$11 million in debt. The rest was funded by the government of Nepal.

The airport was inaugurated by Prime Minister of Nepal Sher Bahadur Deuba, along with representatives of the ADB. The opening was marked by the landing of an international commercial flight.

Deuba hailed the airport opening as a historic day for Nepal’s aviation and tourism sectors, noting that it will contribute to the country’s overall development and prosperity in the long run.

Also speaking at the event, ADB country director for Nepal Arnaud Cauchois said the airport will help connect Lumbini – a major tourist and pilgrimage destination – to Buddhist circuits in South Asia and the rest of the world. The airport is located 19 kilometres from the UNESCO World Heritage site of Lumbini, the birthplace of Buddha.

“The airport will form a cornerstone of the country’s overall development, by facilitating tourism, expanding trade and economic activities, generating local employment opportunities, and improving international air transport access to migrant workers and people living in the nearby provinces,“ he said.

The facility, which can accommodate widebody airplanes, features a terminal building measuring 15,169 square metres, and a new 3,000-metre runway. It uses the advanced Instrument Landing System, which allows aircraft landing even in reduced visibility.