PIA and GBIA record zero foreign trade, while Kathmandu handles Rs 63 billion in cargo

KATHMANDU: Nepal’s two newly built international airports — Pokhara International Airport and Gautam Buddha International Airport in Bhairahawa — have failed to record any foreign trade transactions during the first quarter of the current fiscal year 2082/83, underscoring their continued struggle to operate as international gateways.

According to the Department of Customs, neither airport facilitated any import or export activities between mid-July and mid-October. Both remain limited to domestic flight operations due to the absence of regular international flights, depriving them of any contribution to Nepal’s foreign trade volume.

In stark contrast, the entire volume of air-based foreign trade remains concentrated at Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA) in Kathmandu, which handled imports and exports worth Rs 63 billion during the same period.

Kathmandu Dominates Air Trade

Data from the Department of Customs show that goods worth Rs 53.20 billion were imported and Rs 9.69 billion exported through TIA by the end of Ashoj (mid-October). The figures highlight Kathmandu’s monopoly over air trade while the two new international airports remain largely idle for international cargo and passenger operations.

Altogether, Nepal conducted international trade through 28 customs points in the first quarter. However, only TIA contributed from the aviation sector, while the rest of the trade occurred via land routes.

National Trade Overview

During the first three months of fiscal year 2082/83, Nepal imported goods worth Rs 468 billion and exported goods worth Rs 72.78 billion. Despite heavy investments in new aviation infrastructure, nearly all imports and exports continue to rely on land routes, particularly through southern border points with India.

Birgunj Leads National Trade

The Birgunj customs point remains the country’s largest trade gateway. In the first quarter alone, goods worth Rs 218.81 billion were imported through Birgunj — accounting for 46.75 percent of Nepal’s total imports. Similarly, exports worth Rs 26.33 billion passed through the same customs, representing 36.18 percent of total exports.

Following Birgunj, the Bhairahawa customs point recorded imports worth Rs 71.60 billion and exports worth Rs 7.44 billion. Meanwhile, the Biratnagar border handled imports worth Rs 58.76 billion and exports worth Rs 21.66 billion.

Infrastructure Without International Operations

The data once again expose the stark reality of Nepal’s underutilized aviation infrastructure. Despite massive public investment — approximately Rs 22 billion in Bhairahawa’s Gautam Buddha International Airport and Rs 26 billion in Pokhara International Airport — both facilities have failed to attract sustained international airlines or cargo operators.

Experts argue that the lack of an international flight network, weak government diplomacy, and absence of an air cargo promotion strategy have rendered both airports functionally domestic. The continued dependence on Tribhuvan International Airport for nearly all international freight and passenger movements has raised concerns over policy failure and investment inefficiency.

Tourism entrepreneurs and trade analysts warn that without immediate strategic interventions — including bilateral air service negotiations, airport marketing, and logistic incentives — the two airports could remain economically unviable for years to come.

Government officials, meanwhile, have acknowledged the issue, stating that efforts are underway to bring regular international flights to both airports. However, as of the first quarter of 2082/83, Pokhara and Bhairahawa’s foreign trade record remains absolutely zero, highlighting a critical gap between infrastructure development and operational outcomes in Nepal’s aviation and trade sectors.