Palungtar Airport Explained

Palungtar Airport
Iata:GKH
Icao:VNGK
Pushpin Map:Nepal
Pushpin Mapsize:220
Pushpin Mark:Airplane_silhouette.svg
Pushpin Label:GKH
Pushpin Map Caption:Location of airport in Nepal
Type:Public
City-Served:Palungtar and Gorkha, Nepal
Elevation-F:1467
Coordinates:28.0389°N 84.4658°W
Metric-Rwy:m
R1-Number:02/20
R1-Length-M:1067
R1-Surface:Grass/Clay
Footnotes:Source:[1]

Palungtar Airport also known as Gorkha Airport, was an airport serving the municipalities Palungtar and Gorkha of Gorkha District in the Southern region of Gandaki Province of Nepal.

History

The airport was originally opened in October 1960.[1] It is currently out of operation, for which the District of Gorkha has no active airport as of 2018. It used to serve as a main tourist gateway to the former royal city of Gorkha and its palaces, but lost importance after the area received road connectivity, namely Prithivi Highway. Despite being out of operation, the airport served as a major landing site for helicopters distributing relief material after the Gorkha earthquake in 2015.[2]

Facilities

The airport resides at an elevation of 1467feet above mean sea level. It had one grass/clay runway which is 1067m (3,501feet) in length.

Former airlines and destinations

Until 1979, Nepal Airlines operated several routes from the airport.[3]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Rukum Salle Airport. Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal. 1 May 2018.
  2. Web site: Palungtar Airport in Gorkha in dreadful condition without any maintenance. Aviation Nepal. 1 May 2018. 10 November 2016.
  3. Web site: Airports. Aviation Nepal. 1 May 2018. 12 May 2016.