Kathmandu/bhairahawa, Aug. 18 -- In 2017, the government floated the idea of allowing the private sector to operate the Gautam Buddha International Airport in Bhairahawa under a public-private partnership (PPP) model. Located in south-central Nepal, the airport is the gateway to Lumbini, the birthplace of Gautam Buddha, an international pilgrimage site.

The process of upgrading Bhairahawa into an international airport began in 2015 and was expected to be completed by 2019.

Following the go-ahead, stakeholders-including officials from the Asian Development Bank, the project's financier, and senior officials from the tourism and finance ministries-met at the National Planning Commission to explore involving private companies in its operat...