Bhadrapur, Feb. 27: Bhadrapur airport is the second busiest airport,  after biratnagar airport, in the eastern region,

After about 1000metre-runway of bhadrapur airport was black topped, five airlines have started operating air services at bhadrapur airport at the eastern region of the country.

Though the runway is somewhat short for Avro Aircraft, Necon Airways, now gaining popularity, has curtailed the number of air passengers and started operating air services from Kathmandu to Bhadrapur and back with its newly purchased Avro aircraft.

Likewise, Buddha Air, which claims to be equipped with the latest and ultramodern technology, has also started its regular daily Kathmandu-Bhadrapur Avro services.

Royal Nepal Airlines Corporation (rnac) which has been in the field for years, has also increased its frequency from two to three flights a week.

With new airlines operating services regularly to Bhadrapur, the airport seems rather busy.

According to Gopal Koirala, in-charge of the  rnac office in Bhadrapur, 50 per cent Kathmandu-bound passengers are from Jhapa and adjacent districts and from the border areas of India also.

He further says that the passengers can now choose airlines and go directly to Kathmandu from Bhadrapur.

There is increasing passengers flow to and from Darjeeling, Assam, Siligudi, of India and Bangladesh, there is no problem such as lack of air passengers during  August and April, it is learnt.

According to the immigration office at Kakarbhitta, 7,153 tourists including 2,897 Bangladeshi, 850 British, 655 American and 533 Japanese went towards India from Nepal in 1999 alone from this point.

Likewise, a total of 8,261 tourists including 2,898 Bangladeshi, 850 British, 655 American and 533 Japanese  entered Nepal from this border point.

The number of Bangladeshi tourists has increased rapidly for the last few years as a result of enhanced economic, trading and educational ties between Nepal and Bangladesh.

In 2052 hmg started the black-topping of Bhadrapur airport, which was lying neglected for years, and the black-topping has covered 1000 metre and additional 200 metre will be covered in the current fiscal year, it is learnt from Bhadrapur airport.

In the absence of any hangar, the terminal building constructed with the investment of millions of rupees is lying idle now.

There is a shortage of space and lack of toilet in the old terminal building while passengers are overcrowed at some points.

With the extension of the air services, improvement of tarmac, and the provision of ultra-modern terminal building, the importance of Bhadrapur has increased enormously and many have received employment opportunities, according to the local people.