Lukla Tenzing-Hillary Airport VNLK · LUA
Lukla Tenzing-Hillary Airport (ICAO VNLK, IATA LUA) is at an altitude of 2,845 m (9,334 ft) above sea level, in Solukhumbu district, Nepal. A breath there holds about 71% of a sea-level breath's oxygen, like breathing 14.7% oxygen at the coast. By helicopter from Kathmandu: 135 km in a straight line, 35–38 minutes in the air.
Lukla at a glance
| Codes | ICAO VNLK · IATA LUAICAO for pilots, IATA for airline tickets |
|---|---|
| Type | Airport with scheduled flightsScheduled airline service |
| Elevation | 2,845 m (9,334 ft)Above sea level |
| Air at this height | 14.7% effective oxygen · 715 hPa71% of a sea-level breath; sea level is 20.9% at 1,013 hPa. Standard atmosphere, not a forecast |
| Coordinates | 27.6869° N, 86.7292° ESolukhumbu district, Nepal |
| From Kathmandu | 35–38 minutes in the air135 km in a straight line. Cruise time only; ground time is on top |
| Flights | 1 private charter leg |
What it’s like to land here
Lukla’s runway is 527 m of asphalt on an 11.7% uphill gradient, with a mountainside at the top end and a drop at the bottom. Aircraft land uphill so the slope does the braking, and take off downhill to gain speed in the thin air. Why the runway is built that way.
How every landing site compares by height is in the altitude and oxygen table for Nepal’s landing sites.
Flights through Lukla Tenzing-Hillary
No published route runs through here. We quote it as a private charter against your date, your party and the landing permissions.
The same legs as a private charter
Closest to Lukla Tenzing-Hillary
Straight-line distances from this site's coordinates.
Questions
How high is Lukla above sea level?
Lukla Tenzing-Hillary Airport is 2,845 m (9,334 ft) above sea level, the airport's surveyed elevation. It is in Solukhumbu district, Nepal, at 27.6869° N, 86.7292° E.
How much oxygen is there at Lukla?
Air at Lukla, 2,845 m (9,334 ft) up, is still 20.9% oxygen, but the pressure is about 715 hPa against 1,013 hPa at sea level. A breath there holds about 71% of the oxygen of a sea-level breath, the same as breathing 14.7% oxygen at the coast. These are standard-atmosphere figures, not a forecast.
How long is the helicopter flight from Kathmandu to Lukla?
A helicopter covers the 135 km straight line from Kathmandu to Lukla in 35–38 minutes in the air, depending on the aircraft: the 14 on this platform cruise at 118 to 125 knots. That is cruise time only; the quoted block time adds start-up, the climb, any weather hold and the minutes on the ground.
Can a helicopter fly to Lukla Tenzing-Hillary Airport?
Yes, as a private charter. No published route runs through Lukla Tenzing-Hillary, so we quote it against your date, your party and the landing permissions.
What is the nearest airport to Hotel Everest View?
Lukla Tenzing-Hillary Airport (VNLK, LUA), about 15 km from the Hotel Everest View landing site in a straight line. It is also the nearest airport with scheduled flights to Kala Patthar (36 km).
Is Lukla Tenzing-Hillary Airport an airport or an airstrip?
Formally an airport: it holds the ICAO code VNLK, which is only issued to a registered aerodrome. "Airstrip" is the everyday word for Nepal's short mountain runways, and people use it of Lukla as often as "airport". Both name the same place.
What is the closest airport to Mount Everest?
Syangboche Airport is the nearest registered airport to the summit, about 29 km away in a straight line. The airport almost everyone means is Lukla Tenzing-Hillary Airport, about 39 km out: it has the scheduled service, and the Everest treks and most Everest helicopter itineraries begin there. Closer than any airport is the helicopter landing at Kala Patthar, which has no runway.
Flying through Lukla Tenzing-Hillary? We do the comparing.
Send your route, your date and who is flying. We ask every licensed operator that can fly it and come back with the cheapest, aiming within four hours.