Bhairahawa, May 5 -- Locals of Rupandehi, particularly from the business community, have been staging protests demanding regular international flights at the Gautam Buddha International Airport. Despite persistent calls, they only receive assurances, which do not translate into tangible action.

Since its inauguration in May 2022, the airport has seen minimal international flight activity. According to insiders, most of these limited operations resulted from pressure from Nepal's civil aviation authority rather than organic airline interest.

Officials explain that since all outbound migration formalities for workers, such as medical checks, visa processing, and labour approvals, are centralised in Kathmandu, passengers naturally prefer t...