September 7: It is estimated that the two new international airports of Nepal, which are ready for operation, will take 10 to 15 years to generate profit. The Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal says that the airports, which are ready after almost seven decades, will take time to make profit.

Bhairahawa-based Gautam Buddha International Airport is the second international airport of Nepal after the Tribhuvan International Airport while the Pokhara Regional International Airport will come into operation from January 1, 2023.

CAAN Spokesperson Jagannath Niraula said that the construction of the airports was delayed due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Niraula says that Pokhara Regional International Airport will earn profit after 15 years while Gautam Buddha International Airport will generate profit after 10 years.

Spokesperson Niraula said that 50 percent of the Chinese tourists visit Pokhara and Chinese airline companies have also shown interest to operate flights to the Pokhara Regional International Airport.

According to the CAAN, the number of air passengers is increasing every year by ten percent. Therefore, CAAN believes that more airline companies will operate flights to the new airports because the number of passengers is increasing every year.