Tenzing Hillary Airport

Tenzing Hillary airport can be known as Lukla airport. This airport is named for the first two-man Tenzing Norgay Sherpa and Edmund Hillary to reach the Summit of Mount Everest. It is a small airport in the town of Lukla in Khumbu, Solukhumbu district, province No. 1, east part of Nepal Himalaya. Lukla is a small town in the Khumbu, Pasang Lhamu rural municipality of the Solukhumbu district. Tenzing-Hillary Airport is situated at 2,860 meters(9398 ft). Hillary airport is a popular place for visitors to the Himalayas near the world’s highest peak Mt. Everest.

Tenzing Hillary airport is the most dangerous airport in the world. But the airport is popular because Lukla is the place where most people start the climb to Mount Everest Base Camp. There are daily flights between Lukla and Kathmandu during daylight hours in good weather. Although the flying distance is short(527 meters/1729 ft, rain commonly occurs in Lukla while the sun is shining brightly in Kathmandu.

Hillary Airport is also the world’s most dangerous airport in the world. Arriving and departing aircraft must use a single runway. Due to the difficulties of successfully landing at the Hillary Airport, the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal has established criteria for which just experienced pilots who finished at least 100 short- take-off landing (STOL) missions, have over one year of experience in Nepal.

Nepali Government is planning to construct five new helipads at the airport by 2020 and expand the terminal and runway. The airlines that land daily in Hillary airport are “Nepal Airlines, Sita Air,  Simrik Air, Summit Air, and Tara Air“.


Lukla Airport Facts

Elevation: 2845 m | 9334 Feet

Runway: Asphalt paved

Runway length: 527 m | 1729 Feet

Gradient: 11.7 Percent

Runway width: 30 m | 98 Feet

Air traffic Support: Aerodrome Flight Information Service

Flight Time:  6:30 am to 3:00 pm

Quantity of flight Daily: 50+

The majority of the flights to Tenzing Hillary airport are passenger airplanes bringing trekkers. There are flights for freight. Five airlines provide day to day flight from Kathmandu to Lukla.

Summit Air

Nepal Air

Simrik Air

Tara Air

Sita Air

There’s space for just four short takeoffs and landing otter airplanes at any one time. Additionally, a couple of helicopters that are in a place that is different, 140 meters north of the control tower.


Map of Lukla Airport

The main Lukla airport, cleared in 2001 regardless of having been worked by Kiwi mountain climber Sir Edmund Hillary during the 1960s. It is 1,729 feet long. Interestingly, the well known and short and magnificent beachside runway at St. Barth’s in the Caribbean is 2,133 feet long and the most limited trail in New York-JFK is 8,400 feet. Lukla’s rise is just about 9,500 feet. It is also the world’s most dangerous airport in the world.


Why Tenzing Hillary Airport among the rundown of the most risky airports in the world?

The track has an exceptionally short length of 1,500 feet and closures with a lofty drop in the stream valley and situated at a stature of 2,860 meters (9,000 feet).

The air terminal geographic encompassed by the high Himalayas on all sides so only fare pilots are permitted.

The pilot should clear a high edge, turn left, slip unexpectedly and rectify the plane to arrive in light of the high slope directly behind the runway.

The route is just conceivable by sight so because of a high slope, foggy layers of mist must end flights or defer the flights.

The track itself is set at a 12 percent grade, which implies that pilots must be more talented than any other person on the planet.

The arrival made in the climbing slant to help lessen speed, while the departures made downhill, to help increment the speed required during take-off.


This airplane terminal is fitted for the rush looking for Trekkers.

Due to numerous difficulties the airport is recorded on dangerous lists. Yet, if we look positively this Airport made your Trip memorable.


Tips for other possible routes

If you get scared after the primary Flights over Hillary Airport,  you can have an elective decision to return. The course might be a little longer yet being stuck in a similar spot is the most exceedingly awful if you have a container loaded with circumstances.

The closest transport stations are in Phaplu and Salleri, which are two or three days stroll from the city of Lukla. Transport and jeeps withdraw a few times each day from communities back in Kathmandu. The other course is to go for a seven-day stroll to Shivalaya, or include an extra half-day and keep on Jiri, even though there is a little point since the Shivalaya transport goes through Jiri and the street pursues the old trekking course. – and after that return the express transport to Kathmandu.


Flight Cancellation at Tenzing Hillary airport

Sometimes the weather becomes terrible which causes flight cancellation and delay. As a result, we cannot move out from there, we have to spend a few days waiting for clear weather. If the flight is on time, then that is good. You can spend a few times in Kathmandu purchasing or relaxing. If a flight is postponed, You won’t overlook your trip by building in extra time.

In the time of long delays (it’s been known for poor weather to shut in and wait for flights up to ten times ), there’s the option of leasing a helicopter out of Hillary Airport. This is a costly alternative between USD 2,000 and 2,500 for a five-seater helicopter. You can claim 100 percent of the cash from the travel agent or airline back if your trip is canceled.

Join our Newsletter

Sign up today and get special offer