Puranam at 13:07, 16 August 2025

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{{Short description|Military airport in Kargil, Ladakh, India}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2019}}
{{Use Indian English|date=March 2018}}
{{Infobox airport
| location = [[Kargil district|Kargil]], [[Ladakh]], [[India]]
| IATA =
| ICAO = VI65
| owner = [[Airport Authority of India]], [[Administration of Ladakh]]
| operator = [[Indian Air Force]]
| metric-rwy = y
| metric-elev = y
| elevation-f = 9,604
| elevation-m = 2,927
| coordinates = {{coord|34|31|22|N|076|09|18|E|display=inline,title}}
| pushpin_map = India Ladakh#India
| pushpin_mapsize =
| pushpin_map_alt =
| pushpin_map_caption = Location of the airport in Ladakh
| pushpin_label = Kargil Airport
| r1-number = 02/20
| r1-length-f = 6,004 
| r1-length-m = 1,830 
| r1-surface = [[Asphalt concrete|Asphalt]]
| name = Kargil Airport
| city-served = [[Kargil]]
| type = Military
| image =
| caption = Kargil Airport, Kargil (Ladakh)
}}

'''Kargil Airport''' {{Airport codes||VI65}} is a military airfield in [[Kargil district]] {{cvt|6|km}} away from Kargil and {{cvt|217|km}} from [[Leh]]. It is one of two airports in the [[States and union territories of India|union territory]] of [[Ladakh]]. The airport will be expanded for operation of commercial jets by the end of 2024.<ref name="TOI1">{{cite news|title=CEC Kargil Dr Jaffer takes stock of Kargil Airport expansion |url=https://ladakh.gov.in/cec-kargil-dr-jaffer-takes-stock-of-kargil-airport-expansion/ |work=[[Ladakh]] |date= 22 Dec 2023 |access-date=29 July 2019}}</ref>

== History ==
[[file:The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi being received by local leader, on his arrival at Kargil Airport, in Jammu & Kashmir on August 12, 2014.jpg|thumb|left|[[Prime Minister of India|Indian prime minister]] [[Narendra Modi]] being received by local leaders on his arrival at Kargil Airport on 12 August 2014]]
The airport was built by the [[Government of Jammu and Kashmir|State Government of Jammu and Kashmir]] in 1996 for civilian operations.<ref>{{cite news|title=Kargil to be a major Indian Air Force base |url= http://zeenews.india.com/news/nation/kargil-to-be-a-major-indian-air-force-base_734785.html |publisher=[[Zee News]] |date= 29 January 2018 |access-date=29 July 2019}}</ref> and was leased to the [[Airports Authority of India]] (AAI).<ref>{{cite news|title=Kargil Airport To Be Expanded |url=http://pib.nic.in/newsite/PrintRelease.aspx?relid=107082 |publisher=[[Press Information Bureau]] |date= 21 July 2014 |access-date=29 July 2019}}</ref>
Kargil rose to prominence in the late 1990s as the site of an undeclared war between India and Pakistan.<ref>{{cite news|title=Regulator asks SpiceJet to start flights to Kargil |url=https://www.livemint.com/Politics/R3AuwRTD08VXFJywxVoVvJ/Regulator-asks-SpiceJet-to-start-flights-to-Kargil.html |publisher=[[Mint (newspaper)|Live Mint]] |date= 27 September 2012 |access-date=29 July 2019}}</ref>
AAI transferred the operational control and maintenance to [[Indian Air Force]] (IAF) because the airport was vulnerable to shelling by Pakistani forces.<ref>{{cite news|title=Ministry of defence to run Kargil airport |url=https://www.dawn.com/news/75094/ministry-of-defence-to-run-kargil-airport |newspaper=[[Dawn (newspaper)|Dawn]] |date= 29 December 2002 |access-date=29 July 2019}}</ref>

The [[civil enclave]] at the airfield is managed by the state government. The terminal building has the capacity to handle 100 peak hour passengers at a time. It was built by the [[Airports Authority of India]] (AAI) at a cost of 350 million Rupees, initially for civilian use but was transferred to the [[Indian Air Force]] (IAF) in 2003 after it was damaged in the [[Kargil War]] in 1999.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.defence.pk/forums/indian-defence/187136-full-fledged-air-base-kargil-its-implication-india-analysis.html |title=A Full-Fledged Air Base in Kargil and its Implication for India - Analysis |access-date=14 May 2013 |archive-date=18 June 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120618092539/http://www.defence.pk/forums/indian-defence/187136-full-fledged-air-base-kargil-its-implication-india-analysis.html |url-status=dead }}</ref>

The Air Force operates its [[An-32]] aircraft from for an air courier service that transports civilians from Kargil to Srinagar and [[Jammu]] during the harsh winter season.<ref>{{cite news|title= J&K starts air courier service for Kargil |url=https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/industry/indl-goods/svs/packaging/jk-starts-air-courier-service-for-kargil/articleshow/2637165.cms |work=[[The Economic Times]] |date= 20 December 2007 |access-date=29 July 2019}}</ref>

The airport is a much debated issue for local politicians as well as the public who pursue the point that the airport should be opened to commercial civilian services.<ref>[http://www.indiankanoon.org/docfragment/1031524/?formInput=SHRI%20HASSAN%20KHAN MATTERS UNDER RULE-377: Regarding Need For Early Commissioning Of ... on 22 November, 2000]</ref><ref>[http://www.greaterkashmir.com/news/2011/aug/12/operate-air-service-to-kargil-akhoon-to-ca-minister-90.asp Operate air service to Kargil Akhoon to CA Minister Lastupdate:- Fri, 12 Aug 2011 18:30:00 GMT GreaterKashmir.com]</ref>
[[Air Mantra]] became the first commercial company to land a civilian aircraft at the airport when it landed a 17-seater aircraft with dignitaries, including then Chief Minister of the state [[Omar Abdullah]], on board in January, 2012.<ref>{{cite news|title=Civilian flight takes off from Kargil airport |url=http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/industry-and-economy/logistics/civilian-flight-takes-off-from-kargil-airport/article4282616.ece |publisher=[[The Hindu Business Line]] |date= 7 January 2013 |access-date=29 July 2019}}</ref> However, the service could not be sustained.<ref>{{cite news|title=Flights to Kargil, Kasauli soon |url= https://www.cntraveller.in/story/flights-kargil-kasauli-soon/ |publisher=[[Condé Nast Traveller]] |date= 29 January 2018 |access-date=29 July 2019}}</ref>

The Jammu and Kashmir government sanctioned ₹ billion to upgrade the airport to handle commercial flights. A pre-feasibility study was conducted by the AAI in June 2019. The report recommended extending the existing {{convert|6,000|ft|adj=on}} runway by another {{cvt|5,000|ft}} in order to make it suitable for commercial jets.<ref>{{cite web|access-date=2020-04-13|title=Kargil airport to operate commercial flights|url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/travel/destinations/kargil-airport-to-operate-commercial-flights/as70465848.cms|website=[[The Times of India]]}}</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist}}

{{Airports in India}}
{{Ladakh}}

{{authority control}}

[[Category:Airports in Ladakh]]
[[Category:Transport in Kargil]]
[[Category:Airports established in 1996]]
[[Category:1996 establishments in Jammu and Kashmir]]
[[Category:20th-century architecture in India]]
[[Category:Military airbases established in 2003]]

Kargil Airport - Revision history

Puranam at 13:07, 16 August 2025