Minister for Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation Rabindra Adhikari on Friday unveiled a 100-day programme with the objective to bring in 2.5 million tourists by 2025.

In the programme made public today, Minister Adhikari has focused mainly on bringing reforms at the Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA).

Minister Adhikari said that the TIA will be operated for 21 hours daily to give respite to the passengers who had to wait for around one hour while landing at the only international airport. The TIA is opened for only 18 hours at the present from 6 am to 12 pm.

Similarly, Minister Adhikari said the government will find a way out to operate flights in the hilly areas from Dhulikhel of Kavre to decrease traffic congestion at the airport.

The domestic flights will be upgraded, and will carry out study to find out possible ways to operate flights from Thulichaur of Kavre and other places, the 100-day programme stated.

The objective of the programme is to endorse environmental study of Simara-based international airport (national pride project), to study broader possibility of the airport, settle dispute with the Korean company LMW and to prepare model of the airport.

The 40 percent work of Gautam Buddha International Airport will be completed within that time frame and a supervision consultant will be appointed for the regional international airport in Pokhara, the 100-day programme stated.