But in reality, that's just catchy click-bait. Journalist - With a Master's in International Relations, Linnea has combined her love for current affairs with her passion for travel to become a key member of the Simple Flying team. Is it because of the mountains? They used to be trained in UK. An avid reader, traveler, happy-go-lucky lazy-bum is what I am, very effortlessly. Paro International Airport was initially built as an air-strip for on-call helicopter operations by the Indian Armed Forces on behalf of the Royal Government of Bhutan. Paro Airport in Bhutan, Himalayan Mountains. Only eight pilots are qualified to land here. However, an IFP (Instrument Flight Procedure) called RNP AR Cloud-Break is being developed for Paro by Airbus-owned NAVBLUE. At Paro, the pilots only have one VOR (Very high-frequency Omni-directional Range) to guide them. Why is Paro Airport (currently the only international airport of Bhutan) considered one of the most dangerous airports to land in the world? The privately-owned Bhutan Airlines operates two Airbus aircraft, both of them of the A319-100. These specify at which speed and altitude the aircraft needs to be at specific visual landmark check-points as the pilots make their approach. If you do not already know, Paro airport is one of the toughest airports to land on, in the world, as stated by Boeing. Understandably so, because it flies right next to it, aiming to touch the 1.9 kms runway with enough run-distance on the ground. Depending on if you're a thrill-seeker and nature lover, or rather keep two feet on the ground, it could be interpreted this way. Bhutan’s Paro Airport is surrounded by 18,000-foot mountain peaks that make it so treacherous only 17 qualified pilots are authorized to land there. Not only that, she also explained us how one doesn’t see the runway right until one final steer before the touch-down, even though the plane keeps descending sharply. The tiny airport is nestled in a deep valley and surrounded by sharp peaks of up to 5,500 m (18,000 ft) tall. Yesterday I flew from Kathmandu, Nepal, to Paro, Bhutan, on Drukair. The mountainous terrain surrounding the Toncontin Airport is extremely hazardous for airplanes, particularly on the approach to Runway 02, which requires a hairpin turn and a steep landing. Other airports rely on ILS (Instrumental Landing Systems) to guide the aircraft laterally and vertically in an approach to landing. People visiting Mount Everest frequently use this Nepalese airport. Only two airlines fly to Paro International Airport. Located in Khumbu, Solukhumbu District, the Lukla Airport in Nepal was renamed to Tenzing-Hillary Airport in January 2008, in honour of the first two people to conquer Mount Everest. But why? Strong winds whip through the valley, often resulting in severe turbulence. The state-owned flag-carrier Drukair, also known as Royal Bhutan Airlines, has five planes in service. Be careful about shooting the landing or the take-off; the area around the airport is heavily guarded. I got to view two landings at an interval of twenty minutes. Truly incredible! Can't dance to save my life. Half Changi Airport’s runway length, and you’ll have an idea of Paro Airport’s tight landing strip. However, it allows take-offs and approaches in both directions, as opposed to another recurring “world’s most dangerous” features, Tenzing-Hillary Airport in Lukla, Nepal. Based in Amsterdam, Netherlands. In fact, it is so dangerous that only a dozen pilots are certified to land there, all of which work for the national airline, DrukAir, the only one flying. Join me on a flight with Bhutan Airlines (Tashi Air) A319 from Kathmandu to Paro, Bhutan. Paro, Bhutan in a A319. A safe landing was made. Can sleep for twenty hours straight. 8 pilots only!!! Love vodka. 11. You can check it from the website, or do like I did- make a note of the time by observing for a couple of days if you have luxury of time. Landing at the airport nestled in the heart of the Himalayas is entirely dependent on favourable weather conditions. Because, this airport is located in a deep valley near the Paro Chhu river and 1.5 miles above the sea level. i read your all articles. Yes, that is how I roll. This also means that the airport is operational only during the day-time, because of the Visual Flight Rules (as opposed to Instrument Flight Rules). A strange mix of introvert and extrovert. Pilots also say that the runway is only really visible brief moments before landing. their own judgement to maneuver the aircraft while landing and taking off, Nightlife In Thimphu: Karaoking Monks Of Bhutan, Read This If You Are Solo Indian Traveller To Bhutan, Spiti Diaries–II(Day 2)( Kaza-Dhankar-Tabo), Paro: Bhutan's Docile Progeny - A Borrowed Backpack, Read This If You Are Solo Indian Traveller To Bhutan - A Borrowed Backpack. Tenzing-Hilary Airport, Lukla, Nepal Situated at a height of 9325 feet and surrounded by the Himalayas, this small airport has been called the most dangerous n the world. I notice more than you think I do. Welcome to Paro International Airport, the gateway to himalayan kingdom of Bhutan. Brings me back those Paro memories. Surrounded by mountains and small houses, Paro Airport in Bhutan is known as one of the world's most dangerous airports. It is the only commercial airport in the Royal Kingdom of Bhutan, and has only eight pilots certified to land the aircraft. Be in the know. Follow these easy steps to disable AdBlock, Follow these easy steps to disable AdBlock Plus, Follow these easy steps to disable uBlock Origin, Follow these easy steps to disable uBlock, British Airways Looks At In-App Digital Health Passport, Frontier Airlines Will Retire All Of Its Airbus A319s In 2021, British Airways CEO Pushes For Fewer Restrictions For Vaccinated Travelers, CMA CGM Air Cargo Flies First A330-200F Commercial Flight, Aer Lingus Starts Hiring For Manchester Base. Landing in or taking off from Paro International airport is incredible, just watch the video below and you will understand what I mean. The tiny airport nestled among the steep mountains of the Himalayas is said to be the most dangerous in the world. Would you like to fly there? PARO INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT, BHUTAN. It’s only 7,431 ft long (compared to Changi Airport’s 13,123 ft), and all the above factors demand the pilot to be very precise when landing. Paro is a valley-town in the Himalayas; hills surround it from all sides. Thankfully the pilots there are very skilled too because if we didn’t stop we would have gone straight into the ocean! Miss Bhutan. Please Support us by turning off your adblocker. Paro International Airport in Bhutan is one of the most dangerous airports in the world. And I’d also point out that Druk Air, flying into and out of Paro airport, is significantly more difficult and dangerous than landing in, say, Denver or Geneva. Firstly, there is no radar to guide planes into the airport. It just took delivery of a brand new Airbus A320-200neo on the 18th of March, but the aircraft has yet to be deployed into revenue service. How incredible that they have the skills to do their jobs! Quite an experience! For a viewer, the aircraft just materializes on the runway, and that is when you get to see it. Paro International Airport (Dzongkha: སྤ paro gnam thang) (IATA: PBH, ICAO: VQPR) is the sole international airport of the four airports in Bhutan. Love people-watching. Bhutan’s Paro International Airport is frequently featured on lists over the “world’s most dangerous airports.” Less than two dozen pilots are certified to make the manual by-daylight-only approach between 18,000 ft peaks, through a long, winding valley and onto a runway that is only 7,431 ft long, and visible only moments before landing. Three of them are 12-year-old Airbus A319-100s, and one turboprop ATR 42/72. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Have you landed at Paro Airport? Location of Paro Airport in Bhutan:- The Paro Airport in Bhutan is a public type Airport and it is operated by the Department of Civil Aviation. With eight years’ experience in publishing and citations in publications such as CNN, Linnea brings a deep understanding of politics and future aviation tech to her stories. The country’s first airline, Drukair, was established only in 1981 and inaugurated scheduled revenue flights two years later. Read your other posts – great going! The Pilots are highly trained and skilled and need to go for Refresher Course annually. To put things perspective, visual flight rules call for the pilots to use their own judgement to maneuver the aircraft while landing and taking off . We use ads to keep our content free. Paro International Airport in Bhutan is 1.5 miles above sea level and surrounded by sharp peaks of up to 18,000ft tall. The airport is also dangerous due to strong winds, high mountains on one side and the ocean on the other. Let us know in the comments! Paro Airport: Bhutan, Himalayan Mountains This is definitely one of the most dangerous airports in the world as only eight pilots are qualified to land flights here. only eight pilots certified to land the aircraft. Don't like to talk much, unless of course I am in love with you. Inspite of the dangerous terrain, this Himalayan airport has never seen an air-crash (touch-wood!)! This airport is so dangerous that only a handful of pilots are qualified to land here. While landing, the pilots hand-fly the plane with their local knowledge, navigating it mindful of the electric poles, roofs of the homes, trees, hill-sides etc. We’re the first to welcome you to our beautiful country and the last to farewell you on your onward journey. Most airports have at least 10 nautical miles of distance for pilots to gauge an aligned approach onto the landing strip. Paro airport has a dedicated viewing point for people who are interested in viewing the landings and take-offs. The other airline that flies is Bhutan Airlines. The number of pilots qualified to fly into Paro Airport is in the single digits. Yes, it is. Inspite of the dangerous terrain, this Himalayan airport has never seen an air-crash (touch-wood!)! Paro Airport. An Airport is dangerous because of the extreme locations of difficult approaches, high altitudes, and short runways which are there to make the landing of the airplane the most difficult one. Why do the pilots need a … Very few pilots are certified to land at Bhutan’s Paro International Airport, and not without reason. 1. Despite being one of the toughest airports to land at, there has not been a single mishap here. It is almost like the aircraft is being flown in the alleys. it provide beautiful information…. 1. If you intend to visit the viewing point at Paro airport, please make sure you know the ETA for the incoming flights. The airport has been rated as the most dangerous airport in the world for over 20 years in a row. From the perspective of a pilot, this is a difficult airport, but for a passenger, it is absolutely safe. If you're flying internationally and require a connecting flight to Paro, your luggage will not be checked in all the way to Paro via your first flight. Paro’s airport offers only one to two. Hi Korinna, Will read up about Hawai airport too. Doesn’t it sound so scary? As if being able to check the visual landmarks and the runway wasn’t enough, the pilot also needs to watch out for electrical poles and house roofs on the hillside as they maneuver between the mountains at a 45-degree angle before dropping quickly onto the runway. According to my driver, it is by design, and is done for the safety purpose. Only eight pilots are said to … How did you experience the approach? Paro Airport - Himalayan Mountains, Bhutan . 2nd Most Dangerous Airport – Paro International, Bhutan Pilots have to receive special training just to fly into Bhutan’s only international airport. Hate beer. The descent is so challenging only a handful of pilots are qualified to attempt it. Another factor that makes flying into Paro unique and challenging is the length of the runway. I tend to miss obvious details. The airport used to be even more dangerous up until 2007, when a large portion of the nearby hillside was flattened and the runway was extended. The only time I’ve had a similar experience was landing in Hawaii and the runway wasn’t very long. 8 One tells BBC he's "absolutely flying with the eyes only" as he lands — no instruments are used. Thank you for stopping by. The Bhutanese Department of Civil Aviation was only established in 1986, until what time Drukair was responsible for the operation and maintenance of the airport. It is something like this: If this is the question that landed you here, please refrain from scouring various flight-aggregation sites; Druk Airways is the way to go. They also factor in, the quality of visibility (and NOT because a gadget conveys some information), as the weather needs to be absolutely clear for a safe flight and landing. Only a handful of them have so far been certified to land the planes at Paro. The pilot needs to fly entirely on manual mode, according to procedures for landing that have been designed by experienced pilots and aircraft manufacturers. Sania and Kavya’s discussion intrigued me enough to learn more about Paro Airport. This airport is particularly dangerous due to its location in a deep valley, which is surrounded by mountain peaks as high as 18,000ft (5,000m). However, the flip side of that spot is that the view does not give a clear line of sight to view the navigation that takes place just BEFORE the plane hits the runway. Also in the Himalayan mountains is the Paro Airport in Bhutan. In my opinion, Princess Juliana International Airport is also as challenging as Paro. From the perspective of a pilot, this is a difficult airport, but for a passenger, it is absolutely safe. One morning I found Kavya, my fellow-traveller in Thimphu, and our hostess Sania, discussing the famed Paro airport and the perils that surround it. Later, Sania told us that there are times when it feels that the plane might crash into one of the hills-sides, or trees. So risky is this airport that only a few pilots qualify to land on it at anytime. Fast forward to minute 6 if you need to! This Himalayan airport is top of the most dangerous airport landings. Bhutan Airport: Paro Paro Airport in Bhutan is often labelled as "the world's most dangerous flight landing". What makes the Courchevel Airport so dangerous is the altitude of course (6,500 feet), but also the tiny 1,760-foot runway and its 18.5 percent gradient slope … High hills surround the 6,445 foot runway where Bhutan allows only day … Love to experiment. The mountains surrounding the airport can be up to 18,000 ft, while Paro itself sits at an elevation of 7,364 feet. Can communicate better in writing than in speech. I dug deeper once I was back from the trip. Paro Airport in Bhutan is located in a deep valley near the Paro Chhu river. Hey Divya, I got to experience this first-hand myself two weeks back. No. The runway is just 6,500 feet long. Simply because you are in good hands. Only Druk airways flies from Siliguri, Kolkata, Delhi, Gaya, Guwahati and Mumbai in India. Surrounded by Himalayan peaks as high as 18044 feet, this airport to lying amidst the mountains is a difficult one to land in. Actual landing filmed from Cockpit. Paro Airport in Bhutan, Himalayan Mountians. Writing about it on my blog. Satellite view of Paro airport; make note of the fact how it is surrounded by gigantic mountains, with a runway strip which is only 1.9 kilometers long. Paro is Bhutan’s sole international airport. nice information. This decision is taken based on their knowledge of the terrain and landmarks in the valley. The first Bhutanese female captain is Ugyen Dema who joined Drukair in 2006. This airport, situated in the Himalayas, is considered one of the world’s most dangerous. This in itself affects and restricts the performance of aircraft. Paro Airport, Bhutan. [+] Airport , one of the most dangerous airports in the world on November 18, 2012 in Paro near Thimphu, Bhutan. As an aviation geek I was especially excited about landing at Paro Airport, which is supposedly one of the most dangerous airports in the world to land at. Bhutan’s Paro International Airport is frequently featured on lists over the “world’s most dangerous airports.” Less than two dozen pilots are certified to make the manual by-daylight-only approach between 18,000 ft peaks, through a long, winding valley and onto a runway that is only 7,431 ft long, and visible only moments before landing. Kavya was narrating her experience as she had flown to Bhutan, while I had gone overlands.