By Our Correspondent
Bhairahawa, Dec. 20: The calibration flight at the Gautam Buddha International Airport is being held by the end of January.
The Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN) informed that due to the delay in arrival of foreign technicians, testing of internal equipment is being done currently and the calibration flight is likely to take place after one and a half months.

According to Devchand Lal Karn, spokesperson at CAAN, the problem of electricity line, which is required for calibration flight, had already been solved and currently the Authority was providing training to the technicians. 
“The calibration flight will take place by the end of January or in the first week of February,” said Karn, adding that the operation of commercial flights would begin three months after the calibration flight. 

“It will take around three months to complete the proceedings for commercial flight. We are preparing to start commercial flights from coming April,” he added.
Technicians from Aero Thai have already arrived in Nepal for calibration flight, however the aircraft in which the testing would be done has not arrived yet.
Testing of equipment installed in the runway and control tower will be done during the calibration flight. “For this, the aircraft will have to take off and land several times,” said Prabin Neupane, chief of Gautam Buddha International Airport Construction Project ICP-2. 

The responsibility to install the lights and communication equipment in the airport was given to Aero Thai. However, according to spokesperson Karn, the works were delayed by a year as the Thai government did not permit the technicians from their country to fly abroad due to the pandemic.
“Due to the delay in arrival of Thai technicians, the calibration flight has been delayed,” said Karn, adding, “Now, the technicians have arrived but the aircraft has not.” 

It has been said that technicians from Europe and the United States will also be needed for the calibration flight.
Works under ICP-1 and ICP-2 were carried out for the construction of the airport which was done in two phases. 

Runway, taxi way and terminal building were constructed under ICP-1 and technical works for the coordination between the pilot and the airport were carried out under ICP-2.
A 3,000 metres long runway, hanger and taxi way have been constructed in the airport. Works of main terminal building, terminal tower and taxi parking have also been completed. 
The cargo building is also nearing completion.