Tall mountains rise on one side, and a steep cliff drops on the other. This is what you see when landing at Lukla Airport (Tenzing-Hillary Airport) in eastern Nepal. The flight from Kathmandu takes about 30 minutes.
The airport sits 2,900 meters above sea level. It is a favorite spot for climbers starting their journey to Everest. Most trekkers travel to Lukla and then hike up the Himalayas to get to the Everest base camp.
Before this airport opened in 1971, getting to Lukla from Kathmandu was much harder. People had to drive to Jiri and then walk for about 18 days to reach their destination. Lukla Airport is often called the most dangerous airport because of the many plane crashes.
The runway on the mountainside is only 527 meters long and 30 meters wide. It has a slope of 11.7 degrees from north to south. The runway is four times smaller than typical airport runways. This means pilots have only a single chance to safely take off or land the plane.
Deadly airplane crashes at Lukla Airport
Lukla’s first incident occurred on October 15, 1973, eleven years after it was built. A Royal Nepal Airlines DHC-6 Twin Otter 300 crashed and couldn’t be repaired. None of the three crew members or passengers were hurt. This marked the beginning of many serious accidents at Lukla.
Pilots have no room for error at one of the most adventurous airports in the world. Lukla Airport!
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— Everest Today (@EverestToday) July 24, 2022
In 2008, a de Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otter 300 operated by Yeti Airlines crashed. The plane, registered as 9N-AFE, took off from Kathmandu at 06:51 on Wednesday, October 8th, heading to Lukla. Out of 19 passengers and crew, only the captain survived, as reported by Nepal Hiking Adventure.
The next deadly incident occurred on Friday, September 28, 2012. Although not at Lukla, it happened nearby at Kathmandu-Tribhuvan Airport (KTM). A Dornier 228-202 passenger plane operated by Sita Air was cleared for take-off from runway 20 at 06:12. All 19 people on board were killed.
Strict regulations by the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal
During the peak tourist season, Lukla Airport handles over 50 flights daily. In 2008, it was renamed Tenzing-Hillary Airport to honor Sir Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay, the first climbers to reach the summit of Mount Everest.
Flying to Lukla can be challenging due to unpredictable weather. Wind changes can delay flights for days if the skies are not clear and visibility is poor. Sometimes, travelers must disembark even at the last minute before take-off.
Because of these conditions, the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal has set strict standards for pilots. Pilots must meet strict criteria to land at Lukla. They need to have completed 100 short take-off and landing flights.
Moreover, they must have at least one year of flying experience in Nepal. They also need to have completed ten flights to Lukla with a certified instructor.
