Kathmandu, 28 Jul: In terms of aviation safety, smooth travel, and flight assurance, Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA) has reached a point where it can no longer handle the growing passenger traffic. Although the airport has an annual capacity to serve 8 million passengers, within just the first six months of 2025, the number of air travelers has already exceeded 4.6 million.
According to the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN), from January to June 2025, a total of 4,655,078 passengers used air services. In the same period in 2024, the figure was 4,662,425.
CAAN spokesperson Gyanendra Bhul stated, “Despite the airport’s annual capacity of 8 million, we are currently having to manage over 10 million passengers annually. Even though the number of air travelers slightly decreased this year compared to last, the overall trend has been steadily increasing. That’s why the Authority is expediting efforts to enhance the airport’s capacity. To ensure smoother air travel, the current international terminal will be repurposed for domestic flights, while a new international terminal building is being planned.”
He added that expanding the airport’s capacity will improve aviation safety and help address delays in flights, where planes currently have to wait both in the air and on the ground for their turn to take off or land.
Recent statistics indicate that nearly 10 million passengers are expected to use the airport this year. He also projected that within the next decade, the number of air travelers will double.
In the first six months of 2025, 2,423,199 passengers traveled internationally via Tribhuvan International Airport, while 2,231,879 used domestic flights, according to Bhul.
In comparison, during the same period in 2024, 2,490,612 passengers traveled internationally and 2,171,813 domestically through TIA.
According to CAAN, a total of 7,126,837 passengers traveled through TIA in 2024, including both domestic and international routes. In 2023, the total number of passengers was 8,691,000.
In the last six months, there were 16,068 international flights (8,033 departures and 8,035 arrivals) through TIA. During the same period, there were 50,418 domestic flights. Currently, about 100 international flights and 300 to 400 domestic flights operate daily through the airport.
