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A shortage of construction materials has brought major components of the ongoing infrastructure upgrade project at Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA) to a standstill, delaying a project estimated to cost around Rs 15 billion.

The project, being implemented under the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal’s (CAAN) Air Transport Capacity Enhancement Project, is aimed at expanding aircraft parking facilities, taxiways, hangar areas and other airport infrastructure to increase the airport’s operational capacity.

The construction of the international aircraft parking area on the northern side of the airport has reached around 92 percent completion. However, the remaining works, including concrete paving and related civil works, have been unable to move forward because of a severe shortage of stone, gravel and aggregates.

Project Chief Dipendra Shrestha said construction activities under all three contracts have effectively stalled, particularly since the beginning of the monsoon.

“Work has not been progressing fully for the past six months. Since the monsoon began in June, work under all three contracts has effectively stopped,” Shrestha said. “Stone and gravel are essential for civil construction, but there is currently a severe shortage.”

New parking area to accommodate wide- and narrow-body aircraft

The international parking facility being developed on the northern side of TIA is designed to accommodate six wide-body and six narrow-body aircraft simultaneously.

According to Shrestha, the facility could accommodate as many as 18 narrow-body aircraft if the parking area is used exclusively for narrow-body planes.

The new facility is expected to ease pressure on the existing aircraft parking infrastructure. At present, domestic airlines are also parking their aircraft in areas close to the domestic aircraft parking facility, adding to congestion at the airport.

The completion of the new international parking area is therefore considered important for improving aircraft ground-handling capacity and making better use of the limited space available at TIA.

Despite reaching 92 percent completion, the project has been unable to progress because the remaining concrete and civil works require large quantities of construction aggregates.

Parallel taxiway expansion also affected

Construction of the parallel taxiway on the southern side of the airport has also been affected by the shortage of gravel and other construction materials.

The project team said the ongoing monsoon has created an additional challenge, as asphalt paving work cannot be carried out effectively during the rainy season.

The parallel taxiway project is particularly significant because CAAN expects the expansion to increase the airport’s runway handling capacity by approximately 20 percent.

Under the project, a parallel taxiway is being developed around 75 metres from the centreline of the existing runway. Seven taxiways will be connected to the runway as part of the expansion.

The additional taxiway infrastructure is expected to improve aircraft movement between the runway, parking areas and other airport facilities, reducing operational pressure on the existing infrastructure.

Hangar expansion only 54% complete

The expansion of the airport’s hangar area has also progressed slowly. According to the project, approximately 54 percent of the hangar expansion work has been completed.

The soil-filling work in the area has already been completed, but the subsequent construction activities have been affected by the shortage of aggregate materials, according to project officials.

Expansion of the hangar area is considered important as the number of aircraft operating in Nepal continues to grow. Additional hangar infrastructure is expected to provide more space for aircraft maintenance, repair and technical operations.

Project deadline repeatedly extended

The airport infrastructure upgrade project began in different phases from 2020, with an initial target of completing the works by 2025.

However, various challenges have resulted in repeated extensions of the construction contracts.

Project Chief Shrestha said the deadlines have been extended due to several factors affecting construction progress. The latest disruption caused by the shortage of construction materials and the monsoon season has further slowed the project.

Despite the extension of the construction period, however, the project cost is not expected to increase, according to Shrestha.

He said the immediate priority is to ensure the availability of construction materials and resume the stalled works.

Growing pressure on TIA infrastructure

TIA, Nepal’s main international airport, has been facing increasing pressure from rising passenger traffic and aircraft movements. Limited aircraft parking capacity, taxiway infrastructure and other ground facilities have emerged as major constraints on the airport’s operational efficiency.

The ongoing infrastructure upgrade is therefore considered crucial for increasing the airport’s capacity without requiring an entirely new international airport facility.

The completion of the new parking area, parallel taxiway and hangar expansion is expected to improve aircraft movement, parking capacity and overall airport operations.

However, the prolonged shortage of construction aggregates has now emerged as a major obstacle to the project. With the parking facility already 92 percent complete, the inability to finish the remaining works highlights the extent to which the availability of basic construction materials can affect major national infrastructure projects.

Officials say the pace of construction will depend largely on the availability of stone, gravel and other aggregates, as well as weather conditions in the coming months.