Phaplu Airport | |||||||||||
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| Summary | |||||||||||
| Airport type | Public | ||||||||||
| Owner | Government of Nepal | ||||||||||
| Operator | Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal | ||||||||||
| Serves | Solu Dudhkunda and Solukhumbu District, Nepal | ||||||||||
| Elevation AMSL | 7,918 ft / 2,413 m | ||||||||||
| Coordinates | 27°31′05″N086°35′04″E / 27.51806°N 86.58444°E | ||||||||||
| Map | |||||||||||
  Pokhara Airport Location of airport in Nepal | |||||||||||
| Runways | |||||||||||
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Phaplu Airport( IATA : PPL, ICAO : VNPL) is a domestic airport located in Phaplu, Solududhkunda [1] serving Solukhumbu District, a district in Province No. 1 in Nepal. [3]
The airport was opened in October 1976 [2] and later[ when? ] broadened by Sir Edmund Hillary to accommodate DHC-6 Twin Otter aircraft. [4] The Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal shut down the airport in 2013 in order to pave the runway. [5] The airport reopened one year later with a full blacktopped runway. [3]
The airport resides at an elevation of 7,918 feet (2,413 m) above mean sea level. It has one runway which is 671 metres (2,201 ft) in length. [1]
As the airport lies within the approach of Lukla Airport, flights en route to Lukla often get diverted to Phaplu Airport. [6]
| Airlines | Destinations |
|---|---|
| Nepal Airlines | Kathmandu [7] |
| Sita Air | Charter: Kathmandu [8] |
| Summit Air | Kathmandu [9] |
| Tara Air | Kathmandu [10] Charter: Lukla |
The de Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otter is a Canadian STOL utility aircraft developed by de Havilland Canada, which produced the aircraft from 1965 to 1988; Viking Air purchased the type certificate, then restarted production in 2008 before re-adopting the DHC name in 2022. The aircraft's fixed tricycle undercarriage, STOL capabilities, twin turboprop engines and high rate of climb have made it a successful commuter airliner, typically seating 18-20 passengers, as well as a cargo and medical evacuation aircraft. In addition, the Twin Otter has been popular with commercial skydiving operations, and is used by the United States Army Parachute Team and the United States Air Force's 98th Flying Training Squadron.
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