KASKI, Dec 31:  Preparations have been made for the grand opening of the newly built international airport in Pokhara, the main tourist city of the country.

The international airport is going to be formally put into operation from the first day of the English New Year on the 1rst of January this Sunday. According to PRIA Civil Aviation Office, Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal will inaugurate the airport amid a grand ceremony.

Director of Pokhara Reginal International Airport(PRIA) Vikram Gautam said that Home Minister Lamichhane, Finance Minister Bishnu Paudel, top leaders of various political parties, industrialists and tourism professionals will participate in the opening ceremony. According to him, all preparations for the opening of the airport have reached the final stage.

He said, 'We are in the final preparations for the airport opening program under the chief hospitality of the honorable Prime Minister. The opening ceremony will be special and grand with the participation of Nepal Civil Aviation Authority, Provincial Government, Pokhara Metropolitan City, Pokhara Tourism Council and other tourism organizations.

According to the Civil Aviation Office of Pokhara International Airport, on the opening day of the airport, the crew and passengers of the aircraft landing at the airport from the first flight in the morning will be welcomed with garlands.

Similarly, the formal program will start after 11 am and the 'celebration' program will be held after 2 pm. Director Gautam said that the opening ceremony will be grand with programs such as tableaux of different castes, fashion show and other programs in coordination with Pokhara Metropolitan City and Pokhara Tourism Council.

Pokhara Metropolitan Municipality has also started work to make the international airport opening program more organized. The metropolis has gathered to make the event grand. After the opening ceremony, the city is in charge of the celebration.

The metropolis has said that to make the opening ceremony of the airport grand, there will be a program of honoring the ancestors of different castes, various cultural performances and celebrations. Shankar Raj Pathak, the architect of the airport, will be felicitated with a chariot ride. Aiming at the inauguration, the metropolis had conducted a comprehensive cleaning program on the highway from LakeSide to Kotre on January 13th.

Acharya said that PRIAis a matter of pride for Pokhara and its opening program should be systematically made grand and civilized. He said that this is not only a decades-long dream of Pokhareli, but also an airport which is the "lifeline" of the western region, and its efficient and orderly operation is important.

He said, “The metropolis is working to make the opening ceremony grand. We have formed various sub-committees and worked for this. As the airport will prove to be a milestone in the promotion of tourism in this region, it is necessary to convey the message of the grand opening to the whole world. We believe that Pokhara's direct connection with international cities will help in promoting Pokhara more”.

From the opening day of the airport, all domestic flights will be operated from the same airport. Private airline companies have completed preparations including office management to start flying from the new airport. Buddha, Yeti and Sourya Air have also completed test flights.

People of Pokhara had a dream for PRIAalmost five decades ago. After a long wait,  they are happy when the airport is built and operational. Citizens here expect that this will open the door to the prosperity of Pokhara.

Pomnarayan Shrestha, chairman of the Pokhara Tourism Council, said that Pokhara is a major tourist destination in the country and the tourism sector will benefit more with the operation of the airport. He said that they are happy and excited after the airport comes into operation. Stating that he believes that the tourism sector affected by Corona will get relief with the increase in tourist arrivals with the operation of the airport, Shrestha said, 'We businessmen and investors are all happy after the airport will be operational. It is believed that the tourism sector will get a big relief. Along with the international airport, we will make a plan to spread the promotion of Pokhara around the world and bring in more tourists.

Pokhara Airport was built by the Chinese construction company CAMCE. Earlier in March last year, the airport was handed over to Nepal on the occasion of Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi's visit to Nepal. At that time, some works of the airport were yet to be completed.

The airport was built with the help of Rs 22 billion concessional loans and grants from China's Exim Bank. Although the land was acquired in the year BS 2032, after four decades, the foundation stone of the airport was laid in the year 2073, but the construction started from the year 2074.

 
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