Bhadrapur Airport
{{Short description|Airport in Province No. 1 of Nepal}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2019}}
{{Infobox airport
| name = Bhadrapur Airport
| nativename = भद्रपुर विमानस्थल
| image = Bhadrapur_Airport.jpg
| IATA = BDP
| ICAO = VNCG
| pushpin_map = Nepal
| pushpin_map_caption = Location of airport in Nepal
| pushpin_label = Bhadrapur Airport
| pushpin_label_position = left
| type = Public
| owner = Government of Nepal
| operator = Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal
| city-served = Bhadrapur, Nepal
| focus_city =
| location =
| elevation-f = 308
| elevation-m = 94
| coordinates = {{coord|26|34|14|N|88|04|46|E|region:NP|display=inline,title}}
| website = {{url|https://airports.caanepal.gov.np/chandragadi/}}
| metric-rwy = y
| r1-number = 10/28
| r1-length-m = 1,500
| r1-length-f = 4,921
| r1-surface = Asphalt
| footnotes = Source: DAFIF{{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20110806075053/http://www.worldaerodata.com/wad.cgi?airport=VNCG Airport information for VNCG]}} from DAFIF (effective October 2006){{GCM|BDP|Chandragadhi / Bhadrapur, Nepal (VNCG / BDP)|source=DAFIF}}{{cite web |title=Chandragadhi Airport |url=https://caanepal.gov.np/storage/app/media/CHANDRAGADHI%20AIRPORT-New.pdf |publisher=Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal |accessdate=1 July 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200724120555/https://caanepal.gov.np/storage/app/media/CHANDRAGADHI%20AIRPORT-New.pdf |archive-date=24 July 2020}}
}}
Bhadrapur Airport {{airport codes|BDP|VNCG}}, also known as Chandragadhi Airport, is a domestic airport located in Bhadrapur, primarily serving Jhapa and Ilam districts in Koshi Province, Nepal. The Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal considers it an important hub for passengers entering Nepal from the north eastern states of India, and the passengers from Bhutan and Bangladesh.
History
In the October of 1963, it was reported that the Government of Nepal was constructing an aerodrome in Bhadrapur, Jhapa with Chinese help. The initial project was for military purpose. And that Pakistan had expressed its desire to link it with an air service from Dhaka, Bhadrapur, Kathmandu, Karachi.{{Cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=bDsPAAAAIAAJ&dq=bhadrapur+airport&pg=RA3-PA30 |title=Aeroplane and Commercial Aviation News |date=1962-10-25 |language=en}} Photovoltaic cells were used for the first time in Nepal at this airport for running navigation equipment.{{Cite journal |last1=Gautam |first1=Bidur Raj |last2=Li |first2=Fengting |last3=Ru |first3=Guo |date=2015-01-01 |title=Assessment of urban roof top solar photovoltaic potential to solve power shortage problem in Nepal |url=https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enbuild.2014.10.038 |journal=Energy and Buildings |volume=86 |pages=740 |doi=10.1016/j.enbuild.2014.10.038 |issn=0378-7788}}{{Cite web |date=2022-06-21 |title=InDepth: A snapshot of Nepal's energy ecosystem |url=https://theannapurnaexpress.com/news/indepth-a-snapshot-of-nepals-energy-ecosystem-6573 |access-date=2023-01-15 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220621110856/https://theannapurnaexpress.com/news/indepth-a-snapshot-of-nepals-energy-ecosystem-6573 |archive-date=21 June 2022 }}{{Cite journal |last=Adhikari |first=Krishna Raj |date=2019-12-20 |title=Solar Energy Potential and Its Utilization in Perovskite-Based Solar Cells for Selected Sites in Nepal |url=https://www.nepjol.info/index.php/TUJ/article/view/33604 |journal=Tribhuvan University Journal |language=en |volume=33 |issue=2 |pages=45–58 |doi=10.3126/tuj.v33i2.33604 |s2cid=237567165 |issn=2091-0916|doi-access=free }}
The airport has served as an airfield since November 1963.{{cite web |last=Anurup |first=Pathak |date=25 July 2017 |title=Chandragdi Airport sees improvement with introduction of enhanced security screening systems |url=https://www.aviationnepal.com/chandragdi-airport-sees-improvement-with-introduction-of-enhanced-security-screening-systems/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170805200007/https://www.aviationnepal.com/chandragdi-airport-sees-improvement-with-introduction-of-enhanced-security-screening-systems/ |archive-date=5 August 2017 |accessdate=1 April 2018 |publisher=Aviation Nepal}} Originally a grass runway, it was re-laid in concrete and has been extended several times. The airport was named "Airport of the Year 2013" by the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal.{{cite web |last=Anurup |first=Pathak |date=10 November 2016 |title=A walk around Chandragadhi Domestic Airport |url=https://www.aviationnepal.com/a-walk-around-chandragadhi-domestic-airport/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210728110836/https://www.aviationnepal.com/a-walk-around-chandragadhi-domestic-airport/ |archive-date=28 July 2021 |accessdate=1 April 2018 |publisher=Aviation Nepal}} On 31 January 2018, Prime Minister K.P. Oli inaugurated a newly built RNAV system at the airport, making it capable of handling night flights.{{cite web |last=Prasain |first=Sangam |date=31 January 2019 |title=Six airports in southern plains can handle night flights |url=http://kathmandupost.ekantipur.com/news/2019-01-31/six-airports-in-southern-plains-can-handle-night-flights.html |accessdate=1 February 2019 |publisher=The Kathmandu Post}}
Facilities
The airport is located at {{convert|300|ft|0}} elevation. It has one runway designated 10/28 with an asphalt surface measuring {{convert|1500|x|30|m|0}}. All commercial airlines operate through one small terminal of Bhadrapur Airport.{{Cite book |last=Carroll |first=Peter |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=yVm1AwAAQBAJ&dq=bhadrapur+airport&pg=PT135 |title=Gurkha: The True Story of a Campaign for Justice |date=2012-02-02 |publisher=Biteback Publishing |isbn=978-1-84954-304-0 |language=en}}
Airlines and destinations
{{Airport-dest-list
| Buddha Air | Kathmandu, Pokhara–International
|Guna Airlines | Kathmandu{{cite web |title=Guna Airlines |url=https://flyguna.com/ |publisher=Guna Airlines |access-date=1 October 2021}}
| Sita Air | Taplejung, Charter: Kathmandu{{Cite web |title=Sita Air to conduct Kathmandu-Taplejung-Bhadrapur flights during Dashain |url=https://english.khabarhub.com/2021/02/212909/ |access-date=2022-07-08 |website=Khabarhub |language=en}}
}}
References
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