Simikot Airport

Simikot Airport (IATA: IMK, ICAO: VNST) is a domestic airport located in Simikot[1] serving Humla District, a district in Karnali Pradesh in Nepal. It is the main tourist gateway on the Nepalese side to the Mount Kailash and Lake Manasarovar.[3] As road access in this area of Nepal is weak, the airport facilitates travel in the whole district of Humla.[2]

Simikot Airport
Tara Air Twin Otter at Simikot
Summary
Airport typePublic
OwnerGovernment of Nepal
OperatorCivil Aviation Authority of Nepal
ServesSimikot, Nepal
Elevation AMSL9,246 ft / 2,818 m
Coordinates29°58′16″N 081°49′08″E
Map
Simikot Airport
Location of airport in Nepal
Runways
Direction Length Surface
m ft
10/28 650 2,133 Asphalt Concrete
Source: Great Circle Mapper[1][2]
Flying Dragon Airlines Harbin Y-12 at Simikot Airport

Facilities

The airport resides at an elevation of 9,246 ft (2,818 m) above mean sea level. It has one runway which is 549 m (1,801 ft) in length.[1] The runway has recently been improved and extended with more infrastructure being built.

As a result of this construction the parking facilities and terminals also have seen some improvement. Pilgrims and Trekkers bound for Lake Manasarovar and Mount Kailash in China's Tibet Autonomous Region fly into Simikot and proceed to the international border at Hilsa on foot[4] or by helicopter.[5]

Airlines and destinations
AirlinesDestinations
Nepal Airlines Nepalgunj[6]
Sita Air Nepalgunj[7]
Summit Air Birendranagar, Nepalgunj[8]
Tara Air Nepalgunj[9]

Accidents and incidents
  • On 23 June 2011, Tara Air Dornier 228 9N-AGQ was substantially damaged in a heavy landing and runway excursion. The aircraft was operating a cargo flight from Nepalgunj Airport.[10]

References
  1. Airport information for Simikot, Nepal (VNST / IMK) at Great Circle Mapper.
  2. "Simikot Airport" (PDF). Civil Aviation authority of Nepal. Retrieved 1 May 2018.
  3. "Simikot airport packed with Kailash travelers". Aviation Nepal. 7 August 2017. Retrieved 1 May 2018.
  4. Thubron, Colin (2011). To a Mountain in Tibet. New York: Harper Collins. Retrieved 29 December 2013.
  5. "Mount Kailash Yatra by Helicopter Via Nepalgunj/Simikot/Hilsa/Taklakot". LantangRi Trekking. Archived from the original on 30 December 2013. Retrieved 29 December 2013.
  6. "Domestic Schedule". Nepal Airlines. Retrieved 1 May 2018.
  7. "Flight Schedule". Sita Air. Retrieved 1 May 2018.
  8. "Network-of-Summit-Air". Summit Air. Retrieved 1 July 2019.
  9. "Flight Schedule". Tara Air. Retrieved 1 May 2018.
  10. Hradecky, Simon. "Accident: Tara D228 at Simikot on Jun 23rd 2011, hard landing results in runway excursion and gear collapse". Aviation Herald. Retrieved 25 June 2011.
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