China-assisted international airport in Nepal to be completed ahead of schedule: Official

China CAMC Engineering Co. Ltd is all set to complete the construction of the China-assisted Pokhara Regional International Airport in Kaski district of central Nepal ahead of the deadline, a senior official from the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN) said.

It is one of the much prioritized "National Pride Projects" in the country and the runway construction was completed on Wednesday.

The runway of Pokhara International Airport is 2,500 meters in length and 45 meters in width which can handle medium category jets such as Boeing 757 and Airbus 320, according to CAAN.

CAAN's Director General Sanjeev Gautam told Xinhua on Wednesday that whole project could be completed in 2020 instead of the original target of July 2021 if the current pace of the work continues.

"The completion of the project in the tourism city Pokhara in 2020 will be very important for Nepal as the country will be organizing Visit Nepal Year 2020 targeting 2 million arrivals of foreign tourists," he said.

Pokhara, located at some 200 km away from capital, has established the sister-city relations with some Chinese cities. Majestic mountains, lakes, trekking trails, adventure sports are some of the major attractions of Pokhara.

Completion of the airport project ahead of schedule will be another milestone for enhancing the image of Chinese companies working in Nepal after another Chinese company, China Overseas Engineering Group Co. Ltd, completed the construction of 12.2 km tunnel of Bheri Babai Diversion Multipurpose Project one year ahead of the set deadline.