December 30: Minister for Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation, Sudan Kirati, has said that the government had started a discussion on exploring the possibility for adopting a public-private partnership (PPP) model for the operation of international airports.    
The minister shared that discussions include operations of Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA) and recently constructed Bhairahawa-based Gautam Buddha International Airport and the Pokhara International Airport.    
He shared this information during a meeting of the Delegated Management and Government Assurance Committee under the National Assembly at Singha Durbar on Friday.    
Likewise, he apprised the meeting that efforts are underway for effective operations of commercial flights from the international airports.    
Newly built international airports have not been properly utilized and 22 domestic airports have already turned into pasture lands, according to Minister Kirati.    
TIA will be unable to manage the traffic congestion after some years despite its extension to its full capacity and the government sees the need of accelerating the construction of Nijgadh airport, the minister argued.    
Similarly, lawmakers Nara Bahadur Bista, Gomadevi Timilsina and Narapati Luhar demanded the government that it systematized the Narayanhiti Durbar Museum and objects of archeological importance. -- RSS