Tikapur Airport

Tikapur Airport
IATA: TPU ICAO: VNTP
Summary
Airport type	Public
Owner	Government of Nepal
Operator	Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal
Serves	Tikapur, Nepal
Elevation AMSL	797 ft / 243 m
Coordinates	28°31′19″N 81°07′23″E
Map
Tikapur Airport Location of airport in Nepal
Runways
Direction Length Surface m ft 05/23 573 1,880 Grass/Clay
Source:[1][2]

Tikapur Airport (IATA: TPU, ICAO: VNTP) is a domestic airport located in Tikapur[1] serving Kailali District, a district in Sudurpashchim Province in Nepal.[1]

History

The airport began operations on 11 October 1984.[3] It served as a hub in western Nepal, as road connections were lacking until the Nepalese Civil War,[4] when operations came to a halt in 1997.[5] The area was then occupied by Kamaiya people, who built shelter within the airports boundaries.[4][5]

In the late 2010s, the public urged for the airport to reopen, for which minister Prem Bahadur Ale vowed to reopen the airport in 2022.[6]

Facilities

The airport resides at an elevation of 797 feet (243 m) above mean sea level. It has one runway which is 573 metres (1,880 ft) in length.[1][2]

Airlines and destinations

Currently, Tikapur Airport operates three flights a week (Sunday, Tuesday and Thursday) for Kathmandu via Nepalganj as a short transit. Tara Air and Yeti Air are serving a Tikapur-Nepalganj-Kathmandu and Kathmandu-Nepalganj-Tikapur route three days a week from 15 December 2024.

References

1. Airport information for Tikapur, Nepal (VNTP / TPU) at Great Circle Mapper.
2. "Tikapur Airport" (PDF). Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal. Retrieved 1 May 2018.
3. "Tikapur Airport" (PDF). Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal. Retrieved 1 July 2020.
4. "Reopening Tikapur airport still a far cry". The Himalayan Times. 14 June 2021. Retrieved 13 November 2022.
5. Shrestha, Biju (28 January 2019). "Tikapur airport to come in operation still uncertain". Aviation Nepal. Retrieved 13 November 2022.
6. "Tikapur Airport will come into operation soon: Minister Ale". República. 25 February 2022. Retrieved 13 November 2022.