If you are an aviation enthusiast, you would've definitely heard about Lukla Airport, infamous for being the world's most dangerous airport. Today we will take a closer look at why Lukla Airport, officially known as Tenzing-Hillary Airport, is considered so dangerous, and some incidents that happened there.
 

An Airport Literally in the Mountains

Lukla airport seems like an unsafe airport even at first glance, situated right in the middle of a mountain. In fact, the airport has an elevation of nearly 10,000ft (approximately 3,000 meters), and is considered the starting point for the hike towards Mount Everest Base Camp. Built in 1964 under the supervision of Sir Edmund Hillary (who the airport will be renamed in honor to after his death), the airport served as a crucial point connecting the remote region with other larger cities.

The airport's single runway was unpaved until 2001. After Hillary died in 2008, the airport was renamed in honor of Hillary and sherpa Tenzing Norgay, officially becoming Tenzing-Hillary Airport.

Due to elevated terrain right behind airport perimeters, a go-around is considered impossible, and thus go-around procedures are non-existent. This means that the crew has only one chance to land on short final. For similar reasons, takeoff and landing is done on a single runway, each in the opposite direction.

Frequent Closures

While there are daily flights offered by three airlines, Sita Air, Summit Air, and Tara Air, they are affected significantly by weather as low visibility poses as a huge risk to aircraft trying to locate the airport through the mountains. As such, the airport itself closes immediately if visibility deteriorates.

During the monsoon season, the airport's frequent closure results in nearly 50% of flights being canceled. This causes other problems, as the airport serves as a lifeline for the local community, there being no other way to access the town due to a lack of roads. Tourists and hikers also become stranded as there is no other practical way to leave the region other than by plane.

The Most Dangerous Airport in the World

The difficulties in operations mentioned above gave the airport the nickname, "The Most Dangerous Airport in the World". In order to operate flights to the airport, pilots have to satisfy specific requirements set by the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal. They must have successfully completed 100 Short-TakeOff-and-Landing missions (STOL), have more than one year of STOL experience in Nepal, and complete ten flights landing at Lukla with a certified instructor on board.

However, even after being qualified to land at Lukla, there have been numerous accidents at the airport. 11 recorded incidents happened at Lukla since 1973, claiming the lives of 26 people. The most fatal crash happened in 2008 when Yeti Airlines Flight 101 crashed short of the runway, resulting in the deaths of 18 on board the Twin Otter aircraft, leaving the Captain as the sole survivor.

The most recent crash was in 2019, when a Summit Air aircraft veered off the runway while taking off, crashing into a parked helicopter. The co-pilot of the aircraft and two police officers on the ground succumbed to their injuries due to the crash.

Still an Important Airport

Despite having such an unfortunate title, Tenzing-Hillary Airport is still operating normally with daily flights to the Nepal capital, Kathmandu. The airport is still an important port to the local communities as there are no other reliable means of getting goods and building supplies, as well as transporting emergency patients. The airport is also the closest commercial airport to the Mount Everest Base Camp, being the only option available for tourists and hikers that wish to climb the mountains.

In conclusion, while the airport might seem a bit scary, the importance of this airport should not be underestimated.

Is flying to Lukla on your wish list? Do you think the airport deserves its infamous nickname? Let us know in the comments!