The most lethal airport on the planet...Up, up and afraid (!)
Who would have thought that the difficulties of climbing Mount Everest may begin at the airport of the area?
Tenzing-Hillary Airport is situated at an altitude of 2.860 meters and this is where we will land (in God’s will…) as we approach the Himalayans either on a quest of climbing Mount Everest or simply to enjoy the nature and breathtaking views at the foot of the highest mountain in the world.
It is also known as Lukla Airport - named after the small settlement in which it is located in eastern Nepal - and for quite a few years now it is considered to be the most dangerous airport of the planet due to the extremely bad weather conditions that characterise the area. Heavy rainfall, strong winds, grey clouds and thick fog to mention just a few.
Apart from the extreme weather conditions, another element worsening the whole situation is that of the luck of space. This is where we will see the shortest and steepest runway possible, which is a mere 500 meters in length and just 20 meters in width. At the end of the runway there is a steeply angled drop of about 2.000 meters…Absolutely no take-off can be suddenly interrupted. The aircraft will either manage to take-off or fall into the abyss.
But landing can be equally tricky. If the aircraft does not manage to stop within the given boundaries, then it will either crush at the rocky mountain or with the buildings hosting the duty free shops and the restaurants of the airport.
Unfortunately, the list of accidents that have occurred at Lukla Airport is very long…The most recent lethal accident took place only 4 months ago at the end of September 2012 while an aircraft was taking off from Lukla to Kathmandu. Guess what…There were no survivors.
