NEPAL TRAVELLER
Surkhet is the regional domestic airport serving the Surkhet district in mid-western Nepal. Situated a few miles from Birendranagar, it is also known as the Birendranagar airport.
It is located 5 km away from Birendranagar in Surkhet. The airport serves most of the remote areas of the country such as Humla, Jumla, Kalikot Mugu, and Dolpa.
The Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal considers it an important hub for cargo transport into remote western areas of Nepal; however, this role is declining due to increasing road connectivity. It is one of the moderately busy airports of Nepal, serving most of the remote sectors of the western part of the country with the whole Karnali zone.
History
The airport was established in October 1966 and is the major connection hub to the west. There was no direct connection via air at this place in earlier days. However major connections to Kathmandu were established with private airlines offering services in 2018. Previously, the airport was only used by the Nepalese Army Air Service.
The airport runway is set to be extended to operate bigger carriers to the airport. Nepal Army earlier used the airport, but recently the Government of Nepal along with private airlines have initiated domestic flights from Surkhet.
Airlines and Destinations
Major domestic airlines of Nepal operate daily flights to Surkhet. Airlines also connect the district with destinations like Bajura, Chhayanath, Rara, Jumla, and Simikot.
The surface of the runway is paved with asphalt and has a length of 4118 feet. The IATA and ICAO codes for Surkhet Airport are SKH and VNSK respectively. It has one asphalt runway and there are plans to extend the runway.
Located at an elevation of 7,395 feet (2,254 m) above mean sea level, the main attractions of Surkhet are River Bheri, Bulbule Taal, Kakrebihar.
It also has magnificent mountains, skiing slopes, rivers, and gigantic Himalaya peaks. Aircrafts bigger than the ATR have not yet attempted landing at Surkhet airport and the control tower is well capacitated to oversee a 5-mile radius centered at the Airport Reference Point.
The airport is strategically important for the transportation of food grains, clothes, medicines, iodine-mixed salt, construction materials, office goods, school materials like books and stationeries as well as other commercial goods as it has the least connectivity to the roadway transportation.
Complied by Rina Kumari Mandal a content writer at Nepaltraveller.
Also Read