Lukla Airport, now known as Tenzing-Hillary Airport, is rated as one of the most dangerous airports in the world and a program titled "Most Extreme Airports" broadcast in the History Channel in 2010, rated the airport as the most dangerous airport in the world.
So this was to be our arrival point for this start of our 7 day Himalayan trek up the Everest Base Camp trail - as if the trek was not hard enough we had to survive the landing and then the take-off from this incredible runway.
Aircraft can only use runway 06 for landings and runway 24 for takeoffs. Due to the terrain, there is no prospect of a successful go-around on short final. There is high terrain immediately after the northern end of the runway and a steeply angled drop, of about 2,000 m (6,600 ft) at the southern end of the runway, into the valley below. The apron has four stands and there is one helipad located 140 m (460 ft) from the control tower. No landing aids are available and the only air traffic service is an Aerodrome Flight Information Service.
The video below shows a typical landing at the airport.
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