Some 187 private landowners to be affected by the expansion

Dechen Dolkar

The Paro International Airport is set to undergo major expansion, necessitating the acquisition of more than 90 acres of land, including both government and private land.

A working committee has been established to oversee the land acquisition, comprising representatives from key agencies, including Paro Dzongkhag land sector, Wangchug Gup, Paro Dzongkhag engineer, Department of Surface Transport, Bhutan Civil Aviation Authority, and Department of Air Transport (DAT).

According to the DAT, the expansion of the airport is required as the current airport facilities do not meet the Bhutan Aerodrome Standards and fails to address the audit findings from the Bhutan Civil Aviation Authority for non-compliance to the standards.

The committee has identified six areas that will be affected by the expansion, which includes parts of Bondey towards the south and Chungdungkhar including the old highway which runs parallel to the runway,  the vicinity of the Paro College of Education, and the bridge to the north, as well as Khangkhu farm area.

The acquisition will be executed in three phases.

The airport manager at Paro International Airport, Gyem Lham, said that the old highway needs to be realigned to accommodate the runway expansion. “The feasibility study for the road realignment has already been completed.”

She added that the new road will run parallel to the existing highway, ensuring road access for the locality as well as the runway during emergencies.

According to international standards, the airport runway strip should be a minimum of 75 metres from the runway centerline, with a Runway End Safety Area (RESA) of 90 metres at both ends.

Currently, the Paro International Airport’s runway strip is only 45 metres wide, with no RESA on the southern end, necessitating the expansion.

The initial phase of land acquisition will focus on establishing the RESA to the south and extending the runway strip toward Changdungkhar.

The airport manager said that the area towards Bondey has been designated as a “red zone” where no settlements are permitted due to its proximity to the flight path.

“A total of 87 private landowners will be affected in the first phase. Their homes will need to be dismantled, but only after the land substitutes are given and once their homes are completed,” she said.

Once the first phase concludes, the second phase will commence on the northern side of the runway near the Paro College of Education, impacting around 97 private landowners.

The final phase will involve the Khangkhu area, primarily government land, affecting just one Thram holder. This area will be used for non-operational facilities related to the airport.

The working committee is currently finalising a report on the land acquisition, which will be submitted to the government for approval. Following the approval, the expansion work will commence.

So far, the committee has held two stakeholder meetings and two working committee meetings to ensure transparency and community involvement.