Kathmandu airport seeks to lighten load on cracking runway

Nepal's aviation authorities have told foreign airlines to trim the payloads of flights to Kathmandu's Tribhuvan International Airport, dpa quoted officials as saying Saturday. It instructed international carriers to limit their takeoff and landing weight to 196 tons in September, and to replace wide-bodied aircraft with smaller planes due to a deteriorated runway. Cracks and potholes caused disruptions to flights last week. "Our government needs to work promptly at speeding up the repair work even if they have to close down the airport for two days," said Shrawan Kumar Rana, director of Jaya Travels agency in Kathmandu. "This is going to have a major impact on the airlines' business." The decision came as Nepal prepares for an important phase in its tourism calendar, from early September to mid-November. "Korean Air, Air Asia and Thai Airways will be the hardest hit as they operate Boeing 777," Rana said.