The World’s Scariest Airport!

हेल्लो. होव अरे यौ तोडे? What? Don't speak Nepali? No problem. I said "Namaste. Hajur Sanchai cha?" which translates as "Hello. How are you?" Haven't figured out yet how to say "Pour some steamingly refreshing coffee in your mug and snag a virtual treat" but go ahead. Do it anyway. While we're talking Nepali, they have probably the world's scariest airport.

As if being situated at 10,000 feet above sea level, in the Himalayas, didn’t make it hard enough for pilots trying to land on or take off from Tenzing-Hillary Airport, in Lukla, Nepal, the short and  narrow runway ends at the edge of a precipice, making it one of the most dangerous airports in the world and definitely the scariest.

Lukla is the gateway to the Himalayas, so despite its reputation as one of the world’s most dangerous airports, it’s actually one of the busiest in Nepal. Mountain climbers trying to conquer the world’s highest mountains have to land here before beginning their journey on foot, so small airplanes and helicopters land here every day.

For most mountaineers, the landing on Tenzing-Hillary Airport is a lot more scarier than climbing Everest, and taking into account its extreme location and difficult weather condition, that’s perfectly understandable. Even on its best days, the airport is only available for takeoffs and landings for only a few hours, before the fog sets in or strong winds start to blow. And even then, a miscalculation of just a meter or two on landing can cause a plane to either hit the side of the mountain, or go through a fence and hit a rock wall.  

Taking off is no walk in the park either, as failure to build enough speed before the end of the runway can lead to a crash in the abyss below.

Watch out for the first step, eh! Believe it or not, I would love to go to Nepal - at least to Katmandu. My friend Las Vegas John kept asking me to go when he was in and out of Thailand and touring Asia. Timing wasn't the best then but who knows what the future will bring... 

See ya, eh!

Bob