November 1: The Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN) has decided to conduct international chartered flights from the newly-constructed Gautam Buddha International Airport (GBIA) in Bhairahawa. Until now, all international chartered flights are operated through Kathmandu-based Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA).    
The autonomous civil aviation regulator of the country resorted to the move to bring the GBIA into full operation, said CAAN Director General Pradip Adhikari. The airport officially came into operation on May 16 this year.    
Similarly, one international flight out of every three flights at the TIA will have to be operated at the GBIA, according to a winter flight schedule that came into operation from October 30.    
The CAAN earlier directed three international airlines along with the Nepal Airlines Corporation, the national flag carrier of Nepal, and the Himalaya Airlines to operate a flight a day each at the GBIA. At present, only Jazeera Airways is running three flights a week at the GBIA. -- RSS