Kathmandu, January 27. Under the direction of Aviation Minister Prem Bahadur Ale, a seven point understanding has been made for land acquisition and runway expansion of Dhangadhi Airport.

The arrangement guarantees payment of fair compensation for land (based on current market value) to households whose property is located inside the airport’s new boundaries. The compensation will be paid within two years after upgrading the airport.

Airport Chief Ram Krishna Bhatta confirmed that the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN) has reserved Rs 1.15 billion for the airport’s expansion, which also included land acquisition.

Bhatta also urged the local community for cooperation in ensuring the project’s success.

Dhangadhi Airport was established in 1958. Equipped with an 1800m long runway, it is the regional airport in Sudurpaschim province. For more than 70 years, the airport has been serving as one of the two aviation backbones in Western Nepal.

However, in recent years, the airport has extended its service to the hilly areas of the province. The government is planning to upgrade the airport to an international facility.

According to the local authorities, the airport currently stands at 83 bighas of land. In order to upgrade the runway, the airport must have at least 311 bighas of land. A recent drone operated survey revealed that the the airport will require 258.25 bighas for purchase.