Tenzing Hillary Airport and its Truth
Tenzing Hillary Airport and its Truth
Out of the most adventurous and frightening airports of the world, the Tenzing Hillary Airport is also the one. The Tenzing Hillary Airport is located in the town of Lukla, Solukhumbu District of eastern Nepal. This airport is also known as Lukla Airport. This airport gained its popularity because it is the gateway to the highest peak in the world, Mount Everest. Lukla is the initial destination for people who want to reach the Mount Everest Base Camp.
Just 40 minutes’ flight away from the capital of Nepal, Kathmandu, this airport has only one runway, which was paved in the year 20001. The elevation of this airport is around 9500 feet, and this makes it the most dangerous airport in the world. To add more to its elevation, strong winds, low clouds, and some weather conditions make it dangerous for the flights.
Here are some truths you need to know about this airport before you start the trek to the Everest Base Camp.
Why is Lukla airport the most dangerous in the world?
Due to certain reasons, the airport in Lukla is the most dangerous airport in the world. Although it is only 25 minutes flight from the capital of the country, Nepal, it is the world’s most dangerous airport. As already mentioned, the short runway makes it one of the most dangerous. Along with the runway, the altitude of the airport is also one of the big problems. The big hill right behind the strip for landing in the airport makes it difficult for the pilots. In order to land safely in the airport, the pilot should be aware of a high ridge and descend steeply by straightening the airplane before landing.
Navigation has become a huge problem as the layers of clouds surrounds the valley most of the time. Hence, flights often get canceled in Lukla. Because the runway is an incline, the pilots have to be more skilled. For pilots to land safely in Lukla, they need to be more aware and require more skills compared to other pilots.
Here are some facts about the Lukla airport that you need to explore before you take a flight.
The runway at this airport is very short.
As Lukla lies in the Hilly region of Nepal, the runway of this airport is short and risky too. The track of the runway of this airport has a very short length, which is only around 1500 feet. The runway is very short and has slopes upwards too. Although the upward slopes allow safe and fast landing, the airport is not safe at all. Also, there is only one runway, which might sometimes be causing it hard to manage the flights. When the weather is harsh, the pilots and flight attendants do not get enough time.
The weather is harsh and might cause flight cancellation.
As the weather in Lukla and the Everest region keeps on changing, the climatic condition can be harsh at some time. Hence, the flight often gets canceled. So, the passengers trying to access the flight often have to wait for their turn for the flight to take off. It is common for the passengers to wait for a long time and prepare for the take-off for the flight to Lukla.
The runway is short and inclined
As you get to the landing at Lukla airport, you will get to see that the runway is inclined and is surrounded by mountains. The length of the runway is only around 527 meters, and because it is short is slopes upwards in order to provide safe, fast, and smooth landing.
Fly over a mountain pass
Although dangerous, you will be able to explore a lot as you take the flight to Lukla airport. The mountain pass is the major highlight of the flight. Before a few minutes of landing at the airport, you will get to fly between two beautiful and enormous mountains. You will get to explore the beauty of the Himalayas closely through the pass. After the mountain pass, you will land at Lukla airport.
Hence, the flight to the Tenzing Hillary Airport can be breath-taking and adventurous. You will be able to explore the beauty of the Himalayas as well as land safely in the most dangerous airport in the world. Make you you check the weather before you take the flight as there are a number of cases of flight cancellations due to harsh weather.