Key airport information may also be found at: World Aero Data information on Nepal
 

The Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN) was established as an autonomous regulatory body on 31 December 1998 under the Civil Aviation Act, 1996. CAAN has been set up with the objective of making aviation safe, regular, standard and efficient. Its primary goal is to ensure flight safety and sustainability of civil aviation. It has the responsibilities of constructing, operating and maintaining airports. It also must equip the airports with necessary communications and navigational facilities. Being primarily mountainous and landlocked, Nepal relies heavily on the national aviation system. National airports are usually operated in quite limited capacity and are built for medium  /small types of aircraft. The largest national airports are Tribhuvan International Airport in Kathmandu, Pohkara, Biratnagar, Gautam Buddha Airport, Nepalgunj and Tenzing Hillary (Lukla). Most airports other than Tribhuvan International Airport and Pokhara have few facilities. Most have no refueling, MHE, catering, storage, firefighting, radar or ground handling.

An LCA reconnaissance in Feb 2016 revealed that the airports shown on the above map at Darchula (Gokaleshwor), Baitadi (Patan) and Sanfenbagar have not been used for over 20 years. They are suitable for helicopters only and there are no air traffic control systems at all.

For more information on government agency and airport companies’ contact information, please see the following links:

4.1 Nepal Government Contact List

4.5 Nepal Airport Companies Contact List

Procedures for Foreign Registered Aircraft

The following requirements need to be applied, presented and approved before foreign registered aircraft are pre-positioned. For regular international scheduled flights operated by foreign airlines into or in transit across Nepal, the following requirements must be met:

1. The airline must be a party of the International Air Services Transit Agreement and/or the International Air Transport Agreement. Nepal is a party to the International Air Services Transit Agreement.
2. The airline must be eligible to make the flights under the provisions of a bilateral or multilateral agreement to which the State of the airline and Nepal are contracting parties and must have a permit to operate into or in transit across Nepal. Applications for such permits must be made in writing and must reach the Director General of Civil Aviation Authority at least of 60 working days before the applicable date.
3. For the amendments to the schedule or revisions of the scheduled flight, the request for amendment revisions shall be submitted at least 7 working days before the applicable date of change.

Over-flights

Advanced notification and permission from the Civil Aviation Authority is necessary, subject to the terms of the Convention on International Civil Aviation, Kingdom of Nepal. In all other cases, requests for operation of flights must be sought and obtained through diplomatic means from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Kingdom of Nepal.

Non-Traffic or Technical Landings

The same procedures as for over-flights apply. Operators should schedule their arrivals and departures within the operational hours of the airport. Prior coordination is required if outside normal working hours. 

Traffic Landings and Uplifts

All non-scheduled flights are subject to prior approval. Applications for approval to operate such flights shall be submitted either by letter or AFS or facsimile or telex to the CAA of Nepal.

Commercial Flights

All applications must be made in writing and must reach the Director General, Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal at least 15 working days prior to the aircraft's arrival or departure from Nepal. If insufficient notice is given, the application shall not be considered. Only the operator may apply for permission to operate a non-scheduled flight. The permit will be granted in the name of the operator. In applying for a permit for charter flights, a copy of the Aircraft Charter Contract is to be submitted together with the following details:

1. Name, address and nationality of operator / owners
2. Name, address and business of charterer
3. Type, registration mark, maximum all up weight and maximum seating capacity of aircraft and tire pressure
4. Name of Pilot-in-Command and number of crew, nationality
5. Nature of flight including details whether the flight is to carry passengers or cargo or both

Private Flights

Advance notification of arrival is required and permission must be submitted to the Director General, Civil Aviation at least 7 days in advance of the arrival date. Required documents are the same as for scheduled flights.

For information on disused airports and helicopter landing sites in Nepal, please see the following attachments:

Disused Airports in Nepal

Helicopter Landing Points Eastern Region Map-Jan 2016

List of Helicopter Landing Points Eastern Region

List of Helicopter Landing Points Western Region