){kind=logo} Kushok Bakula Rimpochee Airport | |||||||||||
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| Summary | |||||||||||
| Airport type | Public | ||||||||||
| Owner | Indian Air Force | ||||||||||
| Operator | Airports Authority of India | ||||||||||
| Serves | Leh | ||||||||||
| Location | Leh, Ladakh, India | ||||||||||
| Elevation AMSL | 3,256 m / 10,682 ft | ||||||||||
| Coordinates | 34°08′09″N 077°32′47″E / 34.13583°N 77.54639°E | ||||||||||
| Map | |||||||||||
)  IXL ) IXL | |||||||||||
| Runways | |||||||||||
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| Statistics (April 2019 - March 2020) | |||||||||||
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7.1)
10.2%)Kushok Bakula Rimpochee Airport (IATA: IXL, ICAO: VILH) is an airport in Leh, the capital of Ladakh, India. It is the 23rd highest commercial airport in the world at 3,256 m (10,682 ft) above mean sea level. The airport is named after 19th Kushok Bakula Rinpoche, an Indian statesman and monk, whose Spituk Monastery is in direct vicinity to the airfield.
Military use
Due to the presence of mountain winds in the afternoon, all flights take off and land in the morning. The approach is challenging as it is unidirectional and has high terrain towards the eastern end of the airport. Airport security is tight with Indian Army patrols. Due to its location in between the Himalayas, the approach to Leh Airport has been named as one of the world's most scenic approaches.[4]
Civilian use
Civil aviation enclave
In February 2016, it was reported that the Indian Air Force has handed the airport to Airports Authority of India and AAI will expand it for civilian purposes.[5] But those reports of IAF vacating the entire air base were dismissed by Ministry of Defence and Leh Deputy Commissioner. They clarified that the IAF would vacate only a small part of land for construction of a new terminal.[6][7][8]
Construction of new terminal began in February 2019 with schedule completion in September 2021.[9]
Airlines and destinations
Passenger
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| Airlines | Destinations | Refs. |
|---|---|---|
| Air India | Chandigarh (resumes 30 March 2021), Delhi, Jammu, Srinagar | [10] |
| GoAir | Delhi | [11] |
| IndiGo | Delhi (begins 22 February 2021) | [12] |
| SpiceJet | Delhi, Srinagar | [13] |
| Vistara | Delhi | [14] |
Cargo
| Airlines | Destinations | Refs. |
|---|---|---|
| SpiceXpress | Delhi | [15] |
See also
- Military bases
- List of ALGs
- List of Indian Air Force stations
- India-China military deployment on LAC
- List of disputed India-China areas
- Tianwendian
- Ukdungle
- Borders
- Actual Ground Position Line (AGPL)
- India–Pakistan International Border (IB)
- Line of Control (LoC)
- Line of Actual Control (LAC)
- Sir Creek (SC)
- Borders of China
- Borders of India
- Conflicts
- Kashmir conflict
- Siachen conflict
- Sino-Indian conflict
- List of disputed territories of India
- Northern Areas
- Trans-Karakoram Tract
- Operations
- Operation Meghdoot, by India
- Operation Rajiv, by India
- Operation Safed Sagar, by India
- Other related topics
- India-China Border Roads
- List of extreme points of India
- Sino-Pakistan Agreement for transfer of Trans-Karakoram Tract to China
- Defence Institute of High Altitude Research
- Indian Astronomical Observatory
References
- ^ "Traffic News for the month of March 2017: Annexure-III" (PDF). Airports Authority of India. 27 April 2017. p. 3. Archived from the original (PDF) on 28 April 2017. Retrieved 27 April 2017.
- ^ "Traffic News for the month of March 2017: Annexure-III" (PDF). Airports Authority of India. 27 April 2017. p. 3. Archived from the original (PDF) on 28 April 2017. Retrieved 27 April 2017.
- ^ "Traffic News for the month of March 2017: Annexure-IV" (PDF). Airports Authority of India. 27 April 2017. p. 3. Archived from the original (PDF) on 28 April 2017. Retrieved 27 April 2017.
- ^ Oscar Boyd (21 October 2017), Highest Airports in the World: Landing in Leh (Air India) | 4K
- ^ "IAF to vacate Leh airport, to develop base at alternate site". 6 February 2016.
- ^ "No plans to vacate Leh air base: IAF". 9 February 2016.
- ^ "New terminal to be built at Leh airport for Rs 2 billion". 21 July 2016.
- ^ "Leh airport on expansion mode as Air Force gives 11 acres to AAI". 1 August 2017.
- ^ "Twenty percent work completed on Leh terminal". www.projectstoday.com. Retrieved 14 January 2020.
- ^ "Air India Timetable". Air India. Retrieved 12 January 2020.
- ^ "GoAir flight schedule". GoAir. Retrieved 12 January 2020.
- ^ "IndiGo to launch flight services between Delhi, Leh on February 22". Moneycontrol. Retrieved 16 January 2021.
- ^ "SpiceJet flight schedule". SpiceJet. Retrieved 12 January 2020.
- ^ "Vistara flight schedule". Vistara. Retrieved 12 January 2020.
- ^ "SpiceJet launches dedicated freighter services to Leh in Ladakh". Business Standard. Retrieved 10 December 2020.
External links