Twenty-seven years ago after the hippie generation of the '60's had moved on, a new breed of tourists were visiting Nepal, ones with money. Acres first assignment was to make emergency repairs to the main airport runway to accommodate the larger aircraft required. The runway and taxiways needed major upgrading. One-third of the runway was permanently closed and flights were frequently delayed or diverted while temporary repairs were made to pavements. Within three years, despite extreme logistical problems, the full runway length was reopened to traffic and within four years was strengthened to take aircraft up to B747 size. Since then, under Acres direction, the runway and taxiways have been resurfaced and upgraded twice to accommodate increased traffic and pavement loadings.
At the same time as the emergency repair work was being done, the Acres-led team was busy developing a master plan for a new terminal complex and other airport infrastructure. By 1984 the new "platform" for the complex had been constructed with new access roads, utilities and services in place. By 1986 the new building construction program was under way culminating in the opening of a new international terminal, operations/airlines complex and control tower in 1990. The Acres team then embarked on a new phase of planning and implementation for improvements to security, airport maintenance, fire fighting and rescue facilities and also a doubling of the size of the international terminal to accommodate the exponential growth of passenger traffic. All of this work was completed in 2002.
Technology transfer has been a priority requirement of our services agreement with the Government. During the 26 years of the project, the Acres team worked side-by-side with a Kathmandu-based consultant, Building Design Associates, and counterpart staff supplied from several Ministries. A lasting benefit of the project is the many hundreds of people now working independently in government and consultants' design offices throughout Nepal who at one time were part of the Acres airport office.
In 1976 the airport handled 150,000 passengers. Today it handles 2.3 million annually.
For further information please contact Nancy Rezkalla, Corporate Marketing at nrezkalla@acres.com