Shree Airlines (N9, Kathmandu) operated a maiden charter flight out of the newly reopened Rajbiraj airport in south-eastern Nepal on May 24, using a CRJ200 aircraft, following a lengthy reconstruction project of the facility, The Kathmandu Post has reported.
The airport initially opened in 1959, closed shortly afterwards, and later resumed activities for a brief time in 2007. It was now formally reopened on May 23. However, although the airport infrastructure, including a paved 1,500-metre runway, is now completed, the terminal and the air traffic control tower will only be ready for service in early June.
Although no airline has announced the launch of services to Rajbiraj, the airport authorities hope that after all the works are completed the airport will start receiving regular passenger flights.
The local authorities plan to further expand the airport, however, this initiative is currently suspended as the Nepalese Ministry of Finance refused to release funds required to purchase additional plots of land.
