Nepal Oil Corporation (NOC) has started ‘pre-trial’ an aviation fuel depot constructed at the Pokhara Regional International Airport (PRIA). On Thursday, the NOC conducted tests by storing aviation fuel in the storage tanks of the ultra-modern depot located within the airport premises.

Project Chief of the Pokhara Aviation Fuel Depot, Pradeep Yadav, said that aviation refueling will begin from the new depot after the pre-testing concludes. “Now preparations are underway to hand it over to the central office,” Yadav said, “Refueling aircraft will begin after about two weeks from now.”

Until now, the state-owned oil monopoly had been transporting fuel from the depot at the old airport to refuel aircraft at the new airport.

The NOC spent around Rs 750 million to build the new depot with a capacity of 3.6 million liters near the airport. The modern depot includes three aviation fuel tanks of 1.2 million liters each.

During peak season, Pokhara consumes 18,000 to 22,000 liters of fuel daily. The fuel depot at the old Pokhara Airport had a storage capacity of only 64,000 liters. It has four underground tanks with a storage capacity of 16 kiloliters each. Until now, the NOC had been bringing fuel from the domestic airport depot-located about 6.5 kilometers from the international airport - for refueling aircraft.

Aviation fuel consumption is expected to rise once PRIA becomes fully operational and traffic from domestic and foreign airlines increases. With the new depot, Nepal Oil Corporation will be able to supply aviation fuel to airlines as per increasing demand.

Construction of the depot began in mid-July 2023 and was completed in July 2025. Nepali contractors built the depot in collaboration with an Indian construction company. This is the first time that the corporation’s own investment and Nepali contractors and technicians have constructed an aviation fuel depot.

NOC stated that the depot has been constructed as per international standards. Executive Director Chandika Prasad Bhatt said that it will be easier to serve aircraft operating international and domestic flights.

To ensure preparedness against potential fire incidents, two water tanks of 1,200 kiloliters each have been constructed at the new depot. Structures including a pump house, office building, and laboratory have also been built.

Since aviation fuel is a highly sensitive product, necessary infrastructure has been constructed with special attention to quality and safety. The aviation fuel depot has been built with a fully automated system. The NOC stated that this will make aviation fuel sales more organized in the coming days.

Nepal Oil Corporation currently has aviation fuel storage capacity of 7,710 kiloliters in Kathmandu, 280 kl in Biratnagar, 56 kl in Bhairahawa, 64 kl in Pokhara, 280 kl in Nepalgunj, 60 kl in Surkhet, and 45 kl in Dhangadhi.

The NOC has arranged temporary fueling facilities in Simara and Manthali. Fuel is also transported by tanker and supplied at several busy airports lacking depots.

Airports in Dang, Dolpa, Jumla, Bhojpur, Bajura, Khotang Khanidanda, Manang, Phaplu Solukhumbu, Ramechhap, Rukum Chaurjahari, Rukum Salleri, Rumjatar Okhaldhunga, Rara Mugu, Simikot Humla, Taplejung, Solukhumbu, Tumlingtar Sankhuwasabha and others do not have aviation fuel depots. At airports without depots, aircraft carry the required fuel from the departure airport for both outgoing and incoming flights.

By Dilip Paudel