Nepal’s Lukla Airport, also known as Tenzing-Hilary Airport, is one of the world’s most risky airports. Lukla Airport is a tiny airport in the town of Lukla, which is located in Khumbu, Solukhumbu District, Province No. 1 in eastern Nepal. For more than 20 years, the airport was ranked the most dangerous airport in the world by a show called Most Extreme Airports, which aired on The History Channel in 2010. Sir Edmund Hillary and Sherpa Tenzing Norgay of Nepal were honored by naming the Lukla Airport with the name Tenzing-Hilary Airport. They were the first two humans to reach the summit of Mount Everest, the world’s highest peak. Edmund Hillary commissioned the construction of the airport, which was initially meant to be built on flat grassland. Local farmers, however, refused to give up their property, thus the airport was built where it is now. Hillary paid $2,650 for the property and took the help of the Sherpas in the construction of the facilities.
Only helicopters and light, fixed-wing, short-takeoff-and-landing aircraft are permitted to use the airport’s paved asphalt runway, which has an 11.7 percent grade. The elevation of the airport is 9,334(2,845 m) feet above sea level. Because there is no road to this location, the airport is utilized for passenger flights as well as the transportation of most construction supplies and goods to Lukla and other towns and villages to the north.The village of Lukla is a 40-minute flight from Kathmandu, Nepal.
The airport is surrounded by rugged, hilly terrain on all sides.The airport is well-known because Lukla is where the majority of climbers begin their journey to Mount Everest Base Camp.Mountain peaks like as Mount Everest, Mt Pumori, Mt Lhotse, and Mt Nuptse can be seen from Lukla flights. In favorable weather, there are regular flights between Lukla and Kathmandu during daytime hours. Despite the small distance, rain frequently falls in Lukla while the sun shines brightly in Kathmandu.Flights may be delayed or the airport may be closed due to high winds, cloud cover, and fluctuating visibility. The airport is surrounded by a chain-link fence and is guarded 24 hours a day by Nepalese armed officers or civil forces. Every day, a dozen planes land and take off from Kathmandu airport, transporting hundreds of locals and visitors to Lukla.
There are hotels and restaurants in the area that serve a good dinner at a reasonable price, though prices may rise during peak season. In the Lukla region, there are various lodges with basic facilities and tea houses where you can stay. In addition, the Lukla Airport offers free Wi-Fi Internet access.While travelling from Kathmandu to Lukla, one tip is to seat on the left side of the plane, then on the right side when traveling back to Kathmandu. This will surprise you with spectacular and magical mountain scenery. It will, indeed, be a wonderful flight.
Prior to the opening of Aiport at Lukla, the only method to get to Lukla from Kathmandu was to go by roadway and hike from Jiri to Lukla for about a week (5 days). Lukla Airport continues to be a popular and safe destination for the 30,000 trekkers who visit the region each year. We believe that the choice between a 5-day climb to Lukla and a 45-minute fly is clear. The plane’s sights also provide an excellent perspective of the area where you will be spending the following two weeks.Regardless all the challenges, Lukla is one of Nepal’s busiest domestic airports. Accidents are rare, and the airport is often regarded as one of the most beautiful airport in the world. The massive Himalayas surrounds it, and so do the towering emerald mountains that cast a shadow over the area making it the most beautiful, eye pleasing and breathtaking.
-Article written by: Saru Niraula for Land Nepal
