Bharatpur Airport (Nepali: भरतपुर विमानस्थल) (IATA: BHR, ICAO: VNBP) is a domestic airport located in Bharatpur serving Chitwan District, a district in Bagmati Province in Nepal. The airport is one of two airports in the vicinity of Bharatpur Metropolitan City, the other being Meghauli Airport. It serves as the main tourist gateway to Chitwan National Park.
Bharatpur Airport भरतपुर विमानस्थल | |||||||||||
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| Summary | |||||||||||
| Airport type | Public | ||||||||||
| Owner | Government of Nepal | ||||||||||
| Operator | Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal | ||||||||||
| Serves | Bharatpur, Nepal | ||||||||||
| Elevation AMSL | 600 ft / 183 m | ||||||||||
| Coordinates | 27°40′41″N 84°25′46″E / 27.67806°N 84.42944°E | ||||||||||
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  Bharatpur Airport Location of airport in Nepal | |||||||||||
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History
editThis airport was built in 1958 as part of the resettlement and malaria control program in the Chitwan Valley, with the assistance of the Government of the United States of America.[citation needed] The first passenger flight landed at the airport on 5 March 1965.[3] From 1981 to 1985, the airport was shut down due political instabilities in Southern Nepal.[4] In 2005, a new terminal was built and the 1158-metre runway was paved to enable medium-sized aircraft.[citation needed]
A proposal for further expansion to provide additional services and expand land coverage was passed in 2019.[5] In 2023, the foundation stone for a new terminal building was laid by Prime Minister Pushpa Dahal.[6]
Facilities
editThe airport resides at an elevation of 600 feet (183 m) above mean sea level. It has one runway, which measures 1,158 by 30 metres (3,799 ft × 98 ft).[2]
Airlines and destinations
edit| Airlines | Destinations |
|---|---|
| Buddha Air | Kathmandu, Pokhara–International, Siddharthanagar[7] |
| Guna Airlines | Kathmandu,[8] Pokhara[9] |
Incidents and accidents
edit- 31 July 1993 – An Everest Air flight operated on a Dornier 228-101, on a flight from Kathmandu to Bharatpur, struck a mountain and crashed while approaching Bharatpur. All 3 crew and 16 passengers were killed.[10]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ "Bharatpur Airport". Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal. Archived from the original on 28 September 2007.
- ^ a b Airport information for Bharatpur, Nepal (VNBP / BHR) at Great Circle Mapper.
- ^ "Bharatpur Airport" (PDF). Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal. Retrieved 1 February 2019.
- ^ Shrestha, Sumesh (15 December 2016). "Barriers on the way of improvement of Bharatpur Airport". Aviation Nepal. Retrieved 16 December 2017.
- ^ "Government to expedite expansion and upgradation of Bharatpur Airport". República. 28 January 2020. Retrieved 19 August 2020.
- ^ "PM Dahal lays foundation stone of new terminal building at Bharatpur airport". República. 30 March 2023. Retrieved 29 May 2023.
- ^ "Buddha Air Flight Routes". Buddha Air. Retrieved 1 May 2021.
- ^ "Bharatpur". Guna Airlines. Retrieved 13 February 2022.
- ^ diwakar (24 November 2021). "Guna Airlines starts flights to Bharatpur, Bhairahawa and Nepalgunj from Pokhara - OnlineKhabar English News". Retrieved 7 July 2022.
- ^ Aviation Safety Network. Retrieved 19 November 2006