Nepali government is preparing to facelift around 11 airports in remote properties for sale Nepal areas by improving and upgrading their physical infrastructure, local newspaper The Kathmandu Post reports on Tuesday.

Runways at those airports would be blacktopped and extended, terminal buildings would be built and other necessary equipment like reliable communication system would be put in place, Yagya Prasad Gautam, director general at Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN) said.

The 11 airports wherein the improvements are being mulled are those categorized as short take-off and landing (STOL) airports.

The plan that Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN) is going to implement with the financial assistance of the World Bank is estimated to cost around 1.58 billion rupees (around 22 million U. S. dollars

"Some of these airports like Mugu, Salley, and Bajura do not even have basic infrastructure such as terminal tower to contact with crew of aircraft. The flights rely on mobile single sideband (SSB) sets at airports," Gautam said, "They are in urgent need of improvement."

The authority has already forwarded the proposal to modernize those airports to the Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation (MoCTCA), which is to arrange resources.

An official at the MoCTCA said the ministry has approached the World Bank (WB) for financial support, and the WB has expressed willingness to extend it. "Talks are moving ahead to seal an agreement for this purpose," he said.

There are around 35 airports in operation in Nepal, many without necessary infrastructure and equipment support.