--- iata: KTM name: Tribhuvan International Airport city: Kathmandu country: Nepal lastUpdated: '2026-09-21' officialWebsite: 'https://www.tiairport.com.np/' sources: - 'https://www.tiairport.com.np/' - 'https://mail.tiairport.com.np/airport-facilities' - 'https://www.tiairport.com.np/en-faq' - 'https://immigration.gov.np/en/page/tourist-visa' - 'https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/nepal/entry-requirements' - >- https://www.prioritypass.com/en-GB/lounges/nepal/tribhuvan-international/ktm-executive-lounge - >- https://www.prioritypass.com/en-GB/lounges/nepal/tribhuvan-international/ktm2-horizon-lounge-by-soaltee - 'https://airport.mastercard.com/en/lounge-finder/lounge?loungecode=KTM2' - 'https://sajhayatayat.com.np/short-routes/' - 'https://ictframe.com/tribhuvan-international-airport-passenger-record/' - 'https://himalayanjava.com/locations/airport-1/' - 'https://himalayanjava.com/locations/airport-arrival/' - >- https://kathmandupost.com/money/2026/06/06/in-nepal-uber-aims-to-be-a-key-player-in-ride-hailing-and-beyond - 'https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tribhuvan_International_Airport' quickFacts: - >- Tribhuvan International Airport (IATA KTM / ICAO VNKT) sits in Kathmandu, Nepal, about 6 km from Thamel. Operator Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN). Time zone Asia/Kathmandu. Elevation 4,390 ft / 1,340 m. Official site https://www.tiairport.com.np/ is a JavaScript/Cloudflare shell — facilities and FAQ copy live on mail.tiairport.com.np. - >- CAAN (Kantipur / ICT Frame, Jan 2026): 9,777,256 passengers in calendar 2025 = 5,251,897 international + 4,525,359 domestic; 138,145 movements (34,594 international + 103,551 domestic). Kathmandu Post's 5.04 million international figure conflicts with that split — sit Kantipur 5,251,897. Wikipedia's 8,991,993 infobox is the wrong year versus CAAN's 2025 table. Approximate handling capacity ~8 million — the field is operating beyond that. Cargo tonnes are unpublished here. - >- Live campus: one public international terminal (1990; 2020 departure/arrivals expansion) plus a separate domestic terminal ~500 m north (2016 temporary 6,300 m² hall; Buddha Air wing 2022). No airside walk. Official FAQ: free shuttle every 20 minutes. VIP government hall. Cargo is freight-only. No live T3 / Tilganga new international / parallel taxiway / Nijgadh. Gautam Buddha (Bhairahawa) and Pokhara International exist; TIA still handles the large majority of Nepal's international traffic. Immigration still calling TIA Nepal's only international airport is stale now that Gautam Buddha and Pokhara International exist. - >- One tabletop runway 02/20, 3,350 m / ~10,991 ft asphalt (2020 extension). The 10,000 ft × 150 ft figure is the 1975 length, not today's 3,350 m. PCN 54 F/A/W/T. Slope about 1.2%. No ILS — VOR/DME and RNP AR only. Seven international boarding gates. Wikipedia lists 17 apron stands after expansion, only 3 wide-body. - >- Official FAQ: show ticket and passport at canopy gates A1/A2/B1/B2. Check-in usually opens 3 hours before departure; ticket-checking counters close at least 1 hour prior. Dual security: landside ticket gate → bag x-ray → airline desk → immigration → lounge zone → second security → sterile gates. Hubs Nepal Airlines, Himalaya, Buddha Air, Yeti, Shree, Saurya, Sita, Tara, Guna. International includes Qatar, Turkish, Thai, Singapore, Cathay to HKG, Korean, flydubai, IndiGo, Air India. Thai AirAsia's halt-to-31-Jul-2026 notice is not today's schedule — check the live board. - >- Visa on arrival for most ordinary passports: USD 30 / 15 days, USD 50 / 30 days, USD 125 / 90 days (DOI; multiple-entry). Fill nepaliport.immigration.gov.np (barcode valid 15 days) or the kiosk. Indians visa-free with passport or Election Card — not Aadhaar or a driving licence. Uber launched Kathmandu Valley 5 Jun 2026 (Taximandu partner). Pathao, inDrive and Yango also live. No metro. No airport rail. bentoTips: - label: Check-in title: Arrive 3 hours before an international departure detail: >- Official FAQ: check-in usually begins 3 hours before departure and ticket-checking counters close at least 1 hour prior. You still show ticket and passport at canopy gates A1/A2/B1/B2, then bag x-ray, the airline desk, immigration, and a second security check before the sterile hold. Qatar Airways web check-in is 48 hours to 90 minutes, but KTM is not on QR's kiosk list — still visit the desk. Thamel traffic can erase the first hour. summary: >- International from KTM is a dual-security day. Plan a full 3 hours with bags; the official 1-hour counter close is the last, not the first, clock. category: timing - label: Layout title: 'Two halls, no airside walk — use the 20-minute shuttle' detail: >- International (1990/2020) and domestic (~500 m north, 2016 hall + 2022 Buddha Air wing) are separate buildings. Official FAQ: free shuttle every 20 minutes. There is no live third terminal. Thai's old Royal Silk lounge is gone — that room is Horizon Lounge by Soaltee. Seven international boarding gates. Waiting room at Gate A1 side if you hold a ticket in the next 12 hours. summary: >- International and domestic are two halls about 500 m apart. Do not walk airside. The free shuttle is every 20 minutes. category: terminal - label: Water title: Buy a sealed bottle — CAAN does not list public fountains detail: >- No published NPR bottle tariff — pay at the till. Himalayan Java Airport 1 (departure) and Airport Arrival are live brand pages. Official Food Court and Lounge sits near the international departure gate past the VIP entrance. Lounge water is free once you are in Horizon or Executive. Nepal tap water is not a refill plan. summary: >- CAAN does not publish drinking fountains. Sealed bottles at Himalayan Java or the airside food court, or lounge water if you have access. category: food - label: Visa title: VOA USD 30 / 50 / 125 — print the 15-day barcode detail: >- Department of Immigration: 15 days USD 30, 30 days USD 50, 90 days USD 125, multiple-entry. Fill nepaliport.immigration.gov.np (barcode dies after 15 days) or the kiosk, pay at the bank counter, then the immigration desk. TIA's older $25/$40/$100 VOA list conflicts with DOI — sit DOI. FCDO: passport 6 months; pay card with USD cash backup; travel insurance and first-night booking may be asked. Yellow fever only from listed risk countries. Declare more than USD 5,000 cash or 10,000 cash+travellers cheques. Indians visa-free. TIA FAQ VOA-ineligible: Nigeria, Ghana, Zimbabwe, Swaziland, Cameroon, Somalia, Liberia, Ethiopia, Syria, Iraq, Palestine, Afghanistan. Minors under 10 get gratis. summary: >- Most visitors collect VOA at KTM after the online barcode. Indians skip the visa. Restricted nationalities need a visa before boarding. category: status lounges: - name: Horizon Lounge by Soaltee zone: 'International (after immigration, before second security)' hours: '06:00-01:00 daily' access: - Priority Pass - 'LoungeKey (Mastercard Airport Experiences, loungecode KTM2)' bestFor: - Long haul - Work summary: >- The better of the two PP rooms — 4.6/895 on Priority Pass, later hours, unlimited guests, under-5 free, 2-hour max stay. Mastercard LoungeKey KTM2 matches 06:00–01:00, prayer room, luggage storage, shoe shine, Wi-Fi, no smoking. After immigration and before the second security check. This room replaced Thai's old Royal Silk lounge. verdict: worth-it terminal: International Terminal amenities: - Air conditioning - Alcohol and refreshments - Wi-Fi - Prayer room - Luggage storage - Shoe shine - No smoking (including vaping) - Digital card accepted - Disabled access - Flight information - name: Executive Lounge zone: 'International (after immigration, before second security)' hours: '06:00-23:00 daily' access: - Priority Pass - 'LoungeKey (Mastercard Airport Experiences, loungecode KTM)' bestFor: - Guests who need a smoking room - Quiet work summary: >- Radisson-operated room since 2009. Priority Pass 4.3/1,000+, 06:00–23:00 daily, max 2 guests, under-2 free, separate smoking room. Priority Pass still labels this landside, but it is after immigration, 2nd floor via the stairs/escalator on the right. Wi-Fi, internet, telephone and fax are paid on the PP page. No showers on the PP list. Official FAQ still names Hotel Radisson and Hotel Soaltee as the two business rooms. verdict: depends terminal: International Terminal amenities: - Air conditioning - Alcohol and refreshments - Conference facilities - Separate smoking room - Paid Wi-Fi (Priority Pass) - Digital card accepted - Disabled access - Flight information - Newspapers / magazines waterOptions: - kind: purchase name: Himalayan Java Airport 1 zone: airside price: No published TIA tariff — pay at the till summary: >- Live Himalayan Java departure branch (airport1@himalayanjava.com.np, 01-5900931). CAAN does not list public fountains. Sealed bottle, pay at the till. location: >- Himalayan Java Airport 1 inside the international terminal departure campus (brand page live) terminal: International Terminal isBestValue: true - kind: purchase name: Food Court & Lounge zone: airside price: No published TIA tariff — pay at the till summary: >- Official facilities: boutique food court near the international departure gate, just past the VIP entrance, with a lounge area and luggage storage. Sealed water after the second security check. location: >- Near the international terminal departure gate, just past the VIP entrance (sterile) terminal: International Terminal - kind: purchase name: Himalayan Java Airport Arrival zone: landside price: No published TIA tariff — pay at the till summary: >- Live Himalayan Java arrival branch (airport2@himalayanjava.com.np, 01-5911196). Useful after immigration if you need a sealed bottle before the prepaid-taxi desk. location: >- International Arrival Terminal hall (Himalayan Java Airport Arrival brand page) terminal: International Terminal - kind: free name: Horizon Lounge by Soaltee water zone: airside price: Included with lounge access summary: >- Complimentary once you are in the Soaltee room. Priority Pass and LoungeKey KTM2. 2-hour max stay. Better quality pick than a landside bottle if you already have access. location: >- After immigration and before the second security check, international departures (PP / LoungeKey KTM2) terminal: International Terminal isBestQuality: true airportistScore: 6.4 slug: ktm region: Asia-Pacific --- > Markdown for [/airports/ktm](/airports/ktm). Append `.md` to any page URL (or send `Accept: text/markdown`) for an agent-readable copy. - [HTML page](/airports/ktm) - [Lounge directory](/airports/ktm/lounges.md) - [Sitemap](/sitemap.md) # Tribhuvan International Airport (KTM) Kathmandu, Nepal · Asia-Pacific Nepal's main international gateway is a 1990 brick hall plus a separate domestic building, one tabletop runway with no ILS, and two Priority Pass rooms after immigration — honest but operating beyond its ~8 million capacity. ## Airportist Score **6.4 / 10** Weighted sum of the six published categories (no holistic fudge). - Ease of use (25%): 6.2 — Wayfinding, security wait, and layout. - Comfort & amenities (20%): 6.2 — Seating, Wi-Fi, cleanliness, and quiet. - Food & retail (15%): 6.2 — Food and retail quality and variety. - Ground access (15%): 7.4 — Transit, taxi, and parking to the city. - Reliability (15%): 5.6 — Delays, cancellations, and weather resilience. - Lounges (10%): 7.2 — Worth-it density and access quality. ## At a glance - Passengers: 9,777,256 (2025) - Terminals: 2 public terminals (international + domestic) - Typical security: 30 min - On-time: 0% - Disruption: moderate ## Best for - Visa-on-arrival visitors who print the 15-day barcode - Priority Pass / LoungeKey holders using Horizon by Soaltee - Domestic connections willing to ride the 20-minute shuttle ## Watch out for - Dual security and a 1-hour check-in close on a congested 3-hour clock - Single tabletop runway with no ILS and winter fog - Peak Lukla flights leave from Manthali, not KTM - No metro or airport rail — Thamel traffic eats the first hour ## More intel - [Lounge directory](/airports/ktm/lounges.md) (free) - [Getting there](/airports/ktm/getting-there.md) (free) - [Amenities](/airports/ktm/amenities.md) (free) - [Traveler tips](/airports/ktm/tips.md) (free) - [Water](/airports/ktm/water.md) (free) - [Full guide](/airports/ktm/guide.md) (free) - [Disruptions](/airports/ktm/disruptions.md) (free) - [Reviews](/airports/ktm/reviews.md) (free)