Unlike any other flight on earth, for most trekkers, the trek to Everest Base Camp begins and concludes with this remarkable flight. [Read: On the Solu-Khumbu Trail in Nepal, It’s What’s on the Inside That Matters] Even landing at Lukla itself, at Tenzing-Hillary Airport (which, surprisingly for an airport of its renown, is just a little airstrip), is an adventure; it can make for a thrilling if sometimes nerve-racking overture to the high-altitude trek. It’s infamous for being the “world’s most dangerous airport,” which, if you have a good read through this flight, won’t terrify you terribly and will see you on your Everest Base Camp Tour already missing one source of mild panic. This Lukla flight guide will clear the mystique of your Lukla experience, leaving you well-equipped to take on this epic trek with confidence!
Lukla Airport’s Oddities: Placement and Infrastructure
Lukla Airport’s complicating things is a steep uphill grade — an 11.7% incline — designed to help planes slow down while landing, and gather speed when taking off. The runway abuts a steep mountain wall at the north end and drops off to a deep valley toward the south. There is no second attempt on a missed approach; the pilot has to land on his first try. That difference of design and amount of time we have to prepare (among many other things) is why only pilots trained in this particular route, with those amounts of extreme altitudes and weather patterns, are allowed to do the flying.
Kathmandu to Lukla Flight enjoy
The flight to Lukla is an adventurous and thrilling experience lasting for about 30 to 45 minutes. Trekkers fly in from Kathmandu in small (18-seater) twin-engined Dornier 228 or twin Otter plane, for quick take-off and touchdown (STOL) flights, and in particular, are properly tailored to the difficult mountainous terrain. These flights are remarkably scenic, treating you to the panorama of the high Himalaya, loomy terraced hillside, and the first view of the Great Himalaya peaks. The most expansive views can be had by trying to snare a window seat on the left side of the plane heading to Lukla and the right side returning. The descent is literally one to remember. It seems as if the plane is flying directly toward Bald Mountains as we drop down into the valley — where there must be at least a 100-foot cliff edge — and then suddenly veers to crash down onto or toward Ibao, an airfield with even less length on it than we usually land uphill on. What comes afterward — the jolt of backward motion as the plane grinds to an unsolicited stop mere inches before its convergence with the end of a runway —kinetic and holy.
The huge issue: climate (and Delays)
It is about visibility, because pilots fly by what are called visual flight rules (VFR) as they approach and depart. This also means that it only flies when the weather is good. There are huge cancellations everywhere and delays as well, lots of scrambling to adjust. A flight is almost always scheduled during the first hours of the morning, because that’s when things are calm before the sun heats the valley and winds and clouds gather. Ordinarily, the flight is delayed for about an hour, maybe two days, or so. The Majority of Experienced Everest Base Camp Trekkers will allow a couple of spare days in their EBC trekking itinerary to account for these potential flight holds.
Logistics and Alternatives: The Lukla Flight From Ramechhap
As a move to ease the traffic pressure and end congestion at Kathmandu’s Tribhuvan International Airport, Nepal Civil Aviation Authority has been implementing a policy of not allowing any flights to Lukla from (March – May) main trekking season and (September-November) at any time in all these years too and from September 12 2019 Manthali Airport Ramechhap was turn out to be hub bend down your ear for Lukla flight prisoners who plan on other: All mountain flights commence from Manthali instead being currently operated only through the base airport TIA. This is valuable information to have if the Everest Base Camp Trek is on your mind. It is a 5-7 hour bumpy drive from Kathmandu to Ramechhap early in the morning. (According to Tindle, this means waking up around 2 or 3 a.m. every Monday through Thursday to catch a first flight that morning.) This does start to make things over-complicating for EBC Trekkers, but it has been known to reduce the likelihood of your flight being cancelled. “Helicopter flights are more expensive, but a safe option for those with the means, as helicopters can fly when planes cannot,” ISS Africa regional director Allan Ngari told DW.
Luggage and Weight Restrictions
Due to the nature of the Lukla flight (size and safety), Luggage weight is STRICTLY limited. Standard at 15 kg (33 lbs) per passenger in excess of the combined duffel and daypack. Airlines are very strict about baggage, and you will be charged if you happen to carry more than the allowed weight. Here’s something to think about when it comes to what you should pack for the Everest Base Camp Trek. It´s also an illustration of how much easier it becomes when you have a porter take the weight off your back again – they´re what keep you just under the safe maximum with only what you need for the day in a daypack.
Peace of mind as a security record
Lukla airport is well known for being dangerous, but to put things in perspective. Its “most dangerous” classification is often due to the skill required by pilots, not because they crash a lot. The Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal has set stringent standards for pilots flying that route, including years of experience and special training. There have been fatalities over the years, to be sure, but the successful flights far outnumber those that did not go as planned. Airlines care more about safety than anything, and if the weather isn’t 100 percent up to par, they aren’t going to fly. To be a confident trekker is to trust the professionalism of these pilots and understand that a canceled flight doesn’t mean they are in danger, but rather in safety. The Everest Base Camp Trek cost is an investment; the safe and expert operators are just worth it.
Final Thoughts: The Inception of a Great Journey
The Lukla flight is one of the epic things to do in the Everest Base Camp Trek. Yes, I’m just about to discover whether it does, and this is an exciting period of anticipation that does its bit to underline the sense of adventure that attracts thousands of trekkers to this far-off land. While the journey from Kathmandu to Lukla can be a logistical mess and delays are common, it’s a small price for adventure-of-a-lifetime stuff. If you know that the airport is unique, if you’re accustomed that there might be some delays here and there, if you appreciate how incredible the piloting skills are etc- not only will you do ok on your first flight into this madhouse…you’ll actually cherish flying into the craziest gateway of an amazing adventure where drops down at the foot of worlds highest everest! The awesome views from the airplane window and butt-clenching landing are just a small taste of the visual spectacle to come once you hit the trail.