KATHMANDU, April 28: A wide-body aircraft of Nepal Airlines Corporation (NAC) has successfully conducted an ‘operational performance test flight’ at the Gautam Buddha International Airport (GBIA) on Thursday evening.

The NAC’s A330 wide-body aircraft reached the Bhairahawa sky in 27 minutes after it took off from the Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA). The plane with 274-seats encircled Bhairahawa and landed at the airport in 50 minutes.

The test flight by the wide-body airbus at the country’s second international airport built after 74 years of the establishment of the first one is said to be historic.

According to Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN) Director General Engineer Pradip Adhikari, the full operation of another international airport is really a significant achievement for the nation. “It will be a milestone for the country's aviation sector,“ he said.

According to CAAN, domestic airports in Terai areas as well as Gautam Buddha International Airport are coming into operation for 18 hours daily from today.

Similarly, international commercial flights will be operated at GBIA for 24 hours from May 16. Director General Adhikari said that it is the first national pride project coming into full operation after its completion. An ‘Operational Performance Test Flight’ is going to be conducted by the wide-body aircraft in order to disseminate the message that another international airport has come into operation in Nepal and any airline company from across the world can make flights to and from Nepal.

The much-awaited second international airport, GBIA, has formally come into operation from May 22, 2021. However, international flights will be launched regularly at the airport from May 16.

So far, Jazeera Airlines has got the CAAN’s permission to operate flights to and from the airport and has been making necessary preparations in this regard. 

 
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