The Lukla Airport (Official name: Tenzing–Hillary Airport -LUA) in Nepal serves as the main airport for those visiting Mt. Everest. A television program titled Most Extreme Airports, broadcast on The History Channel, had rated the airport as the most dangerous airport in the world.
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Part of what makes this airport so difficult to land in is how it is nestled in between mountains and the incredibly short length of runway. There are no lights and little electric power, so landing in anything other than perfect conditions becomes even riskier. There are also no air traffic controllers on site, so pilots are on their own to touch down in sometimes large aircraft.
Aircraft can use runway 06 only for landings and runway 24 only for takeoffs. There is low prospect of a successful go-around on short final due to the terrain. There is high terrain immediately beyond the northern end of the runway and a steeply angled drop at the southern end of the runway into the valley below.
This is the airport where most people start the climb to Mount Everest Base Camp. There are daily flights between Lukla and Kathmandu during daylight hours in good weather. Although the flying distance is short, rain commonly occurs in Lukla while the sun is shining brightly in Kathmandu. High winds, cloud cover, and changing visibility often mean flights can be delayed or the airport closed. The airport is contained within a chain link fence and patrolled by the Nepali armed police or civil police around the clock.
