Kathmandu, April 18 -- The runway at the international airport being constructed in Pokhara has been completed two years after the project launched, raising hopes that the infrastructure will be ready before schedule.

Sanjiv Gautam, director general of the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal, said that the 2,500-metre-long and 45-metre-wide rigid pavement, the first of its kind in Nepal, was completed on Wednesday. "The rigid pavement will not require repair works for at least 25 years," he said.

In March, workers completed building the apron where aircraft will be parked. It is spread over an area of 5,519 square metres. The runway will be able to handle medium-range commercial aircraft such as the Airbus A320, Boeing 737 and Boeing 757....