The capacity of Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA) has become so overstretched that it could be in real trouble should an emergency situation arise, experts said.

Chris Weeks, director of Humanitarian Affairs, Deutsche Post DHL Group (DPDHL), said that out of the 36 airports assessed globally, the main issue with Nepal’s airports was parking bays and airspace congestion. 

Speaking at a press meet about the Get Airports Ready for Disaster (GARD) workshop led by DPDHL and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), he said, “The Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (Caan) and the air traffic controller should prioritize which aircraft should land during a disaster given its capacity constraints,” he said. “It should not be ‘my neighbour’ should be prioritized to land.” 

The four-day programme that kicked off here on Tuesday is aimed at developing a customized disaster response action plan for TIA and Nepalgunj Airport. Over 30 officials from government agencies, airport authorities, military and humanitarian partners are attending the workshop.

Airports play a critical role in channeling humanitarian teams and relief goods quickly after a disaster. Besides having the necessary infrastructure to deliver life saving support to affected communities smoothly, the team on site needs to be trained in the necessary protocol and know-how to handle the dramatic rise in air traffic and flow of goods and people following a natural disaster.

The 2015 earthquakes have shown that an adequate level of infrastructure and effective logistical operations would not only save lives but help reduce economic losses.

Within 48 hours after a 7.8-magnitude earthquake struck Nepal in April 2015, the country’s only international airport was flooded with humanitarian aid supplies and rescue and relief teams from all around the world. After a week, the runway had been made unusable for large aircraft due to the influx of flights delivering aid.

Keeping this fresh lesson in mind, Nepal’s airport authorities, representatives from the Home Ministry, the Nepal Army and other humanitarian responders have come together to assess and strengthen post-disaster preparedness arrangements at two of Nepal’s most strategic airports, TIA in Kathmandu and Nepalgunj Airport.

During the workshops, participants and trainers will evaluate the current level of preparedness at the two airports, go through trainings, and provide concrete recommendations and an action plan to ensure that Nepal’s airports are prepared for future disasters.

“The 2015 quake truly demonstrated the crucial role airports play in Nepal’s national emergency response network,” said Valerie Julliand, UNDP Resident Coordinator. “We just can’t wait for another disaster to strike to have strong and effective contingency plans to manage the flow of emergency relief goods to the people in need.”

The GARD workshop is a key milestone in UNDP’s efforts to support the government in making Nepal a disaster-resilient country and the airports ready to implement immediate response actions in the event of a disaster, said Julliand.

The workshop will also raise awareness of disaster risk reduction and identify priorities for investment in national infrastructure that could further improve the resilience of emergency supply chains during a disaster.