| Kushok Bakula Rimpochee Airport | |
| Iata: | IXL |
| Icao: | VILH |
| Type: | Public |
| Owner: | Indian Air Force |
| Operator: | Airports Authority of India |
| City-Served: | Leh |
| Location: | Leh, Ladakh, India |
| Metric-Elev: | yes |
| Elevation-F: | 10,682 |
| Elevation-M: | 3,256 |
| Coordinates: | 34.1358°N 77.5453°W |
| Pushpin Map: | India Ladakh#India |
| Pushpin Label: | IXL |
| Metric-Rwy: | yes |
| R1-Number: | 07/25 |
| R1-Length-M: | 2,752 |
| R1-Length-F: | 9,028 |
| R1-Surface: | Asphalt |
| Stat-Year: | April 2023 - March 2024 |
| Stat1-Header: | Passengers |
| Stat1-Data: | 1,074,426 (14.8%) |
| Stat2-Header: | Aircraft movements |
| Stat2-Data: | 7,614 (16%) |
| Stat3-Header: | Cargo tonnage |
| Stat3-Data: | 1,731 (10.7%) |
| Footnotes: | Source: AAI[1] [2] [3] |
| Pushpin Map Caption: | Location of airport in Ladakh |
| Website: | Leh Airport |
Kushok Bakula Rimpochee Airport is a domestic airport serving Leh, the capital of Ladakh, India. Situated at 3256m (10,682feet) above mean sea level, it is the highest commercial airport in India and one of the highest in the world. The airport is named after 19th Kushok Bakula Rinpoche, a Buddhist monk whose Spituk Monastery is in vicinity to the airfield. Due to its location in between the Himalayas, the approach to Leh Airport is one of the most challenging and scenic.
The airport was established in 1985 to handle limited flights for the Indian Air Force.[4] In 2016, the airport was to be handed over to Airports Authority of India, which will expand it for civilian use.[5] However, the Ministry of Defence clarified that a portion of land will be earmarked for a construction of a new terminal and the airport will continue to serve military flights.[6] Situated at 3256m (10,682feet) above mean sea level, it is the highest commercial airport in India and one of the highest in the world.[7]
In 2016, the Indian Air Force allocated 11acres of land for the construction of a new civilian terminal.[8] The new terminal covering an area of 19000m2 along with aero bridges was constructed at a cost of .[9]
In 2019, the Airports Authority of India planned to construct a new passenger terminal beside the current terminal at a cost of to cater to increasing traffic. It would be equipped with all modern and essential passenger-friendly facilities, will have 18 check-in counters, in-line baggage handling system and would be capable of serving 2 million passengers per annum.[10] Construction of the new terminal began in February 2019 and was expected to be completed by 2023.[11]
The airport has one asphalt runway of 9036feet in length.[12] Due to the presence of mountain winds in the afternoon, all flights operate in the morning and the approach is challenging as it is unidirectional with a higher terrain towards the eastern end of the airport.[13] 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.