The airport began as Gauchaur Airport, named after the area of Kathmandu where it was situated. The formal beginning of aviation in Nepal occurred in 1949 with the landing of a lone, four-seater, Beechcraft Bonanza aircraft, carrying the Indian ambassador. The first charter flight took place between Gaucher and Calcutta, in a Himalayan Aviation Dakota on 20 February 1950.The airport is expected to handle 5.85 million passengers by 2015. (Wiki)