Bartsham Airport in the plans
Thimphu: Bartsham in Trashigang will probably have the fourth domestic airport in the country.
Bartsham is the latest inclusion in the master plan under the Capacity Development Project (CDP) which has already identified three other domestic airports at Phuentsholing, Yonphula and Bumthang.
The plan to build an airport at Bartsham was considered following the proposal put up by the Trashigang Dzongda to the Department of Civil Aviation (DCA), and Trashigang chimi’s submission to the last Assembly session.
The expansion of air services has been seen as a necessary condition for the development of a more diversified export base and for expansion of tourism in the country, according to Sangay Wangdi, the aerodome officer and project manager.
“The link between aviation and development cannot be understated. Aviation links societies, rural regions with economic and cultural centers,” he said. “Other links can also be found, in the chain of transport possibilities, business development, market orientation, job availability, economic growth, and poverty reduction.”
According to DCA officials, domestic airports pursued development in the transport sector.
In the wake of inherent limitations associated with road transport, the need for a well developed air transport connecting various urban centers in the country was considered of paramount importance, officials said.
However, a series of feasibility studies on the proposed airport sites will be conducted.
“We had a consultant from CDP in December 2006, who was here on a fact-finding mission on the domestic airport development. Accordingly we have decided to carry out the site visit to these four proposed airports in March this year,” said Sangay Wangdi.
During the site visits, the DCA and the consultants will establish contracts with the local authorities and landowners, and study visual view of the sites.
Study on availability of infrastructure like supply of power, water, telecommunications, methods of sewerage treatment, among others, will also be conducted.
The preliminary master plan with site conditions and specific view of aircraft operation requirements will be compared.
Whether the four proposed airports will come through or not cannot be foretold. The Director of DCA, Phala Dorji, said that until the reports from the sites are not confirmed they will not be able to make any comment.
Meanwhile, the master plan for Gelephu International Airport has been stalled as the DCA is yet to receive the Indian Airport Authority (IAA) expert’s preliminary survey report conducted in May 2006 by the IAA.
“The IAA is still working on their report, and we are positive that it will come soon so that the project in Gelephu can be resolved,” said Phala Dorji.
To speed up feasibility studies, the DCA has already installed metrological equipment and deputed an observer in Gelephu to collect metrological data which will enable in designing the runway orientation and site collection of the airport.
Since last summer, the DCA has been monitoring HFL (maximum High Flood Level) of all the three streams passing through the proposed site, and has also monitored the spread width, discharge/rate of flow, velocity and solid carriage in the rainy season of all the three rivers.
The DCA director said that the HFL is still being monitored and so far the results have been favorable.
The report will be submitted to the IAA on their second visit to Bhutan.
Source: Bhutan Times