Surkhet Airport

Surkhet Airport (IATA: SKH, ICAO: VNSK), also known as Birendranagar Airport is a domestic airport located in Birendranagar serving Surkhet District, a district in Karnali Pradesh in Nepal. The Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal considers it an important hub for cargo transport into remote Western areas of Nepal,[3] however this role is declining due to increasing road connectivity.[4]

Surkhet Airport
IATA: SKH ICAO: VNSK
Summary
Airport type	Public
Owner	Government of Nepal
Operator	Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal
Serves	Birendranagar, Nepal
Hub for	Makalu Air Summit Air
Elevation AMSL	7,395 ft / 2,254 m
Coordinates	28°35′09″N 081°38′09″E
Map
Surkhet Airport Location of airport in Nepal
Runways
Direction Length Surface m ft 02/20 1,255 4,117 Asphalt
Source: DAFIF[1][2][3]

History

The airport was established in October 1966,[3] however major connections to Kathmandu were only established with services from Buddha Air in 2018[5] Previously this airport was only used by Nepalese Army Air Service and local services.

Facilities

The airport resides at an elevation of 7,395 feet (2,254 m) above mean sea level. It has one asphalt runway which is 1,255 metres (4,117 ft) in length.[3] There are plans to extend the runway.[6]

Airlines and destinations

Airlines	Destinations
Buddha Air	Kathmandu[7]
Nepal Airlines	Kathmandu[8]
Summit Air	Bajura, Chhayanath Rara, Jumla, Simikot[9]

Accidents and incidents

• 17 July 2002 - A Skyline Airways De Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otter 300 (9N-AGF) left Jumla on a flight to Surkhet. Some 18 minutes after take-off and 10 km north of Surkhet, at an altitude of about 6500 feet, the aircraft crashed into trees on the Gargare Danda hill in bad weather. All two crew and two passengers were killed.[10][11]
• On 26 May 2010 a Tara Air DHC-6 Twin Otter had taken off from Surkhet Airport heading for Talcha Airport in Rara National Park, with 18 passengers and 3 crew on board. At 10 am, the aircraft had to make an emergency landing at Surkhet after its cabin door suddenly opened five minutes after take-off. Tara Airlines officials said that the cabin attendant managed to lock the door immediately after it opened.[12]

References

1. Airport information for VNSK at World Aero Data. Data current as of October 2006.Source: DAFIF.
2. Airport information for SKH at Great Circle Mapper. Source: DAFIF (effective October 2006).
3. "Surkhet Airport" (PDF). Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal. Retrieved 1 July 2020.
4. "New roads hit flights at Surkhet Airport". The Kathmandu Post. Retrieved 1 July 2020.
5. "Flights from Kathmandu to Surkhet KTM - SKH Flights".
6. "Plan to extend 300 meters of Surkhet airport runway". Aviation Nepal. Retrieved 1 July 2020.
7. "Buddha Air to resume Surkhet flights". The Himalayan Times. Retrieved 26 March 2018.
8. "Nepal Airlines to begin Ktm-Surkhet-Ktm flights from new year". Aviation Nepal. Retrieved 6 April 2018.
9. "Network-of-Summit-Air". Summit Air. Retrieved 1 January 2020.
10. Aviation Safety Network retrieved 18 November 2006
11. Spotlight Archived 21 November 2008 at the Wayback Machine 8 August 2002

See also

List of airports in Nepal