‘Most dangerous airport in the world’ where pilots really don’t want to fly

If you’re scared of flying, there’s probably a number of destinations you can never think of going to. And this must definitely be one of those on the avoid list as even pilots really don’t want to fly there.

While there’s spots like Skiathos airport where planes look like they’re going to touch people’s heads and the famously challenging approach at Paro International Airport in Bhutan there’s also this place tipped as the ‘most dangerous airport in the world’.

Known for being a mega trek for hikers, Mount Everest is famously climbed up by foot.

However, before trekkers even reach base camp, most of them face a risky flight to the tiny Himalayan settlement of Lukla.

The airport is very famous. (Getty stock image)

It’s a very short flight from Kathmandu to Lukla - typically around half an hour to avoid spending days trekking before even starting the hike to the summit of Mount Everest in Asia.

Also known as Tenzing-Hillary Airport, it’s well known for being so dangerous.

During The History Channel programme Most Extreme Airports in 2010, it was rated as the most dangerous airport in the world for more than 20 years.

Flights to and from Lukla Airport only happen during daylight hours and good weather and it is often closed due to high winds and changing visibility.

The spot sits at just over 9,000 feet above sea level and is surrounded on all sides by steep, mountainous terrain.

Due to its high altitude, air density at the airport in the Himalayas is much lower and this massively effects the amount of power generated by an airplane’s engines. Plus, reduced air resistance makes it much harder to slow the plane down.

Pilots apparently hate it. (Getty stock photo)

So, at a high altitude like this, it’s helpful for the runway to be longer.

But in bad news for pilots, Lukla Airport isn’t particularly helpful. The high up spot has a very short landing and take-off strips for the pilots to navigate, often in windy weather and rain.

At many of the world’s big international airports, runways tend to be at least 10,000 feet long and at this little domestic spot in the mountains, it’s just 1,729 feet in length.

Oh, but to help pilots out in slowing down, it does slope uphill.

It might not come as a surprise that there have been accidents at Lukla Airport with passengers previously killed in crashes.

To prevent this, The Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal has set high standards for pilots to meet before they can fly in to the ‘dangerous’ airport.

Topics: Travel, World News

Jess Battison

Jess is an Entertainment Journalist with a love of all things pop culture. Her main interests include keeping up with the Twitter girlies, waiting for a new series of The Traitors and losing her voice at a Beyoncé concert. She graduated with a first in Journalism from City, University of London in 2021 and has previously worked at MyLondon.

@jessbattison_