Despite billions of rupees being invested in its construction, Gautam Buddha International Airport in Bhairahawa has been without frequent international flights for the past five months, which has frustrated local hoteliers, tourism operators, and locals.

 While Tribhuvan International Airport in Kathmandu was undergoing restoration, the airport served over 15,000 passengers and handled 299 international flights between January and March 2025.Airlines including Nepal Airlines, Jazeera Airways, FlyDubai, Thai Air, and AirAsia operated flights from Bhairahawa during that period. However, flights stopped again after Tribhuvan Airport resumed operations in late March.

Airport officials and business groups say a lack of local airline offices, centralized visa and manpower services in Kathmandu, and policy issues have prevented the airport from attracting regular international traffic. Currently, all international travel procedures must be completed in Kathmandu, making it inconvenient for passengers to fly from Bhairahawa.

Local business people are arguing that with regular flights, the airport could become a point of entry for religious tourism in Lumbini, which could mean more hotels, restaurants, and businesses. Business people have put almost Rs80 billion in investment into the expectation that increased tourism would be forthcoming, but many of them are now having trouble paying back their loans because of the.

Although the airport can accommodate 50 foreign flights per day and more than 3 million passengers yearly, it has only handled 731 international flights with 45,573 passengers in the three years since it opened in May 2022. Facilities such as customs, immigration, health desks, and parking are fully functional, and the airport is staffed by 141 employees along with 422 security personnel.

According to airport officials, Thai Air will start operating two weekly flights again on October 26.Business leaders and local residents continue to demand regular international flights, warning that without them, tourism investments and local businesses are at risk.

Even with its advanced technology and opportune location near Lumbini, Gautam Buddha International Airport is still underutilized, processing Rs250 million per year in revenue from domestic flights and infrequent international flights, against an operational cost of Rs350 million per year, representing an annual loss of Rs100 million.

Local business and civil society groups continue to push the government to implement regular flights and full international operations at Gautam Buddha International Airport.