Kathmandu - Transport

Transport

The total length of roads in Nepal is recorded to be (17,182 kilometres (10,676 mi)), as in 2003–04. This fairly large network (still considered a very inadequate connectivity with the rural hill areas) has helped in the economic progress of the country in the field of agriculture, horticulture, vegetable farming, industry and also tourism. In view of the hilly terrain, transportation facilities in Nepal in general and Kathmandu in particular, are mainly by road and air with limited rail link in the terai region.

Through the process of Five Year Plan developments, the first transmountain highway, later named Tribhuvan Highway, linking Kathmandu with Bhaise, a distance of 126 km (78 mi), was built and further extended via Hetauda through Birganj to Raxaul in India, a distance of 64 kilometres (40 mi) (built by Government of India in 1956). Another trans-Himalayan highway that was built in 1963 connects Kathmandu with Kodari, a distance of 114 kilometres (71 mi) (built by the Chinese), and links to Tibet. Another highway called the Prithvi Highway, within the country, connects Kathmandu with the Pokhara Valley over a distance of 200 kilometres (120 mi) (built by the Chinese).

Air transport, the next in importance to Nepal (since it is a landlocked country) was also developed since 1953, first by the Indian Air Lines, and subsequently in 1959 by the Royal Nepal Airlines Corporation (RNAC) with internal services starting with Kathmandu as the hub linking with many towns and cities within Nepal. Gradually, it spread to Indian and other international destinations. Now, Nepal boasts of 44 airports throughout the country. The main international airport serving Kathmandu and indeed Nepal is the Tribhuvan International Airport, located about six kilometres from the city center in the Kathmandu valley. Operated by the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal it has two terminals, one domestic and one international. At present, about 22 international airlines connect Nepal to other destinations in Asia and the Middle East, connected to cities such as Delhi, Kolkata, Doha, Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Seoul, Hong Kong, Singapore, Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur, Dhaka, Islamabad, Karachi, Paro, Lhasa, Chengdu and Guangzhou. A recent extension to the international terminal has made the distance to the airplanes shorter and in October 2009 it became possible to fly directly to Kathmandu from Amsterdam by Arkefly Regionally, several Nepalese airlines operate from the city including Agni Air, Buddha Air, Cosmic Air, Gorkha Airlines, Nepal Airlines and Yeti Airlines connecting Kathmandu to many other major towns across Nepal.