Kathmandu, June 27: Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA) has claimed to have taken steps to reform itself and improve its service delivery.

In a recent notice, Pratap Babu Tiwari, general manager of the nation’s oldest international airport, said that TIA had taken a number of steps in the last three months to ensure aviation safety and provide passengers a better experience.

Chief among them is that the airport has begun assigning a supervisor with a GoPro camera to oversee the Nepal Airlines Corporation’s baggage handling and prevent loss and damage of the luggage. Similarly, it helped the airlines implement a pocketless dress policy for its baggage staff. “This has reduced the cases of luggage theft and damage, evidenced by the lower number of complaints lodged,” Tiwari stated in the notice.

TIA administration has also increased the number of CCTV cameras to monitor the airport premises and stop unwanted activities.

The airport has installed an automated teller machine (ATM) that dispenses sanitary pads in the women’s restrooms to serve female passengers too.

Furthermore, TIA has brought a self-check-in kiosk into operation. This has allowed passengers to get their passports scanned and receive the baggage tags and boarding passes on their own. Similarly, TIA staff have started displaying check-in counter information along with flight details on the information screen and have required airlines to include the number of boarding gates on the boarding passes. As per the statement, these moves are expected to reduce confusion and help passengers get on their flights with ease.

TIA has also upgraded its electric shuttle service and now uses a bus instead of a van. 

To enhance safety, Tiwari shared that the airport has increased airside surveillance which has helped it mitigate bird strike risks and prevent the entry of animals like dogs and monkeys.

The airport management has also started the practice of holding weekly meetings on Mondays to review work done and deliberate on improvements to be made.

On February 28, Minister for Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation Sudan Kirati had inspected the airport and instructed its management to make improvements that yield visible results.