Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN) is to allow two domestic airlines to build hangars at the Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA), the only international airport in the country, to carry out maintenance works, local media reported on June 20.

According to a leading website, www.ekantipur.com report, CAAN has already prepared terms of reference to build hangars and is in the process of forwarding it to its board of directors for endorsement, said Prem Lohani, project director of TIA Improvement Project.

He said they will invite bids to choose two airlines to construct hangars, asking for both financial and technical proposals.

"We have prepared two models for the construction - one to lease the land to the selected airlines or to let them construct the hangar under the concept of build-operate-own-and-transfer (BOOT). It is up to the board of directors to decide which course to follow," he said.

"CAAN would have allowed setting up of hangars for private airlines long time back as it was its responsibility to provide necessary infrastructure," he said.

Noting that absence of hangars has largely disturbed aircraft maintenance, he said the works have been limited to daytime and clear weather.