Biratnagar Airport, which has been closed since last Friday after being deluged by floods, is expected to resume its operations from Saturday, according to the airport authority.

Airport staff, along with about 200 Nepal Army personnel, have been clearing mud and sand from the runway.

The airport authority said that the runway and taxiway was submerged under four feet of water, thick with mud and debris.

Suresh Man Singh, chief of the airport, said that various equipment have been used to clear the mud and debris. “The airport will be cleared by Saturday evening,” he said.

The airport will resume services soon after the Civil Aviation authority of Nepal technicians give a go-ahead after inspecting electrical equipment on the runway, navigation, radio frequency and damages on the runway.

The closure of the airport has affected hundreds of travellers. Biratnagar is the country’s second busiest airport after the Tribhuvan International Airport in Kathmandu. However, the airport’s helipad has escaped damages by flooding. The airport authority said that Shree Airlines jet that had been stranded at the airport since last Friday took off on Thursday.  Biratnagar is a crucial hub, with several daily flights to destinations in the East—Taplejung, Tumlingtar, Bhojpur, Lamidanda, Rumjatar and Phaplu.

In 2015, the airport handled 9,362 flights. The annual passenger movement through the airport stands at more than 340,202.