Covid-19 hampers progress of Gautam Buddha Int’l Airport

Bhairahawa: Although the construction of Gautam Buddha International Airport is completed by 91%, yet the progress work has been adversely  affected in dearth of technicians and equipment stuck abroad due to Covid-19.

The airport officials said the completion of airport project is supposed to be finished by March, but due to dearth of equipment and required Chinese technicians the project keeps procrastinated time and again due to Covid-19 pandemic.

So, the project will be completed by December only said Prabesh Adhikari, the project director at the airport. He said over 250 workers including 29 Chinese are working even during the lockdown to give a finishing touch to the remaining structures of the airport.

Adhikari further said discussions are being held to bring in the rest of the equipment and skilled technicians from Aeronautical Radio of Thailand (AEROTHAI) while other Chinese equipment of the project stuck in China are  expected to be delivered at the airport by the end of the July.

The Chinese firm Northwest Civil Aviation Airport Construction Group has undertaken the first phase of the project (ICB-1) with a total cost of Rs 6.82 billion, while the second phase (ICB-2) was awarded to AEROTHAI at Rs 500 million.