Night flights at Rajbiraj Airport in Saptari are set to commence from Monday, following the installation of the Instrument Flight Landing System (IFR) by the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN). The IFR system enables flight regulation with the help of instruments, allowing operations even during low visibility and nighttime conditions.

A successful test flight was conducted last Friday with the participation of technical teams from CAAN and Buddha Air. Previously, the airport only operated under Visual Flight Rules (VFR), which required clear visibility of at least 5,000 meters for flights. However, with the IFR system, operations will now be possible with a minimum visibility of 2,000 meters, enabling nighttime flights as well.

Under VFR, pilots navigate visually from the cockpit, making high visibility crucial. In contrast, IFR flights rely on instruments, which significantly reduces the visibility requirements. For example, small aircraft can operate at Tribhuvan International Airport in Kathmandu with as low as 800 meters visibility, and larger planes at 1,600 meters.

The introduction of IFR at Rajbiraj Airport is expected to minimize delays and cancellations caused by low visibility. During the inauguration of the system, Minister for Culture, Tourism, and Civil Aviation Badri Pandey remarked, "Rajbiraj, once overshadowed, will now operate not just during the day but also at night. Flights should connect Rajbiraj with cities beyond Kathmandu."

CAAN Director General Pradeep Adhikari added, "There’s no need to fear nighttime cancellations. Passengers can now return to Rajbiraj from Kathmandu in the evening."

With the addition of Rajbiraj, the number of airports in Nepal offering nighttime flight services has reached ten. Previously, night flights were operational at three international airports and six domestic ones: Dhangadhi, Nepalgunj, Simara, Janakpur, Chandragadhi, and Biratnagar.