->2006nishan178713 at 15:56, 7 November 2021

2021-11-07T15:56:49Z

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{{Redirect|Leh airport|the airport in France with IATA code LEH|Le Havre – Octeville Airport}}
{{Short description|Airport in ndia}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2019}}
{{Use Indian English|date=March 2018}}
{{Infobox airport
| name = Kushok Bakula Rimpochee Airport
| image = IXL Front 2010.jpg
| image-width = 250
| caption =
| IATA = IXL
| ICAO = VILH
| type = Public
| owner = [[Indian Air Force]]
| operator = [[Airports Authority of India]]
| city-served = [[Leh]]
| location = [[Leh]], [[Ladakh]], [[India]]
| metric-elev = y
| elevation-f = 10,682
| elevation-m = 3,256
| coordinates = {{coord|34|08|09|N|077|32|47|E|type:airport|display=inline,title}}
| pushpin_map = India Ladakh#India
| pushpin_label= '''IXL'''
| metric-rwy = yes
| r1-number = 07/25
| r1-length-m = 2,752
| r1-length-f = 9,028
| r1-surface = Asphalt
| stat-year= April 2019 - March 2020
|stat1-header= Passenger movements
|stat1-data= 7,63,042 ({{decrease}}7.1)
|stat2-header= Aircraft movements
|stat2-data= 5982 ({{increase}}10.2%)
|stat3-header= Cargo tonnage
|stat3-data= 1695 ({{increase}}4.5%)
|footnotes = Source: [[Airport Authority of India|AAI]]<ref name="traffic_stats1">{{cite web|url=http://www.aai.aero/traffic_news/Mar2k17annex3.pdf|title=Traffic News for the month of March 2017: Annexure-III|work=[[Airports Authority of India]]|date=27 April 2017|access-date=27 April 2017|page=3|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170428052950/http://www.aai.aero/traffic_news/Mar2k17annex3.pdf|archive-date=28 April 2017}}</ref><ref name="traffic_stats2">{{cite web|url=http://www.aai.aero/traffic_news/Mar2k17annex2.pdf|title=Traffic News for the month of March 2017: Annexure-III|work=[[Airports Authority of India]]|date=27 April 2017|access-date=27 April 2017|page=3|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170428050942/http://www.aai.aero/traffic_news/Mar2k17annex2.pdf|archive-date=28 April 2017}}</ref><ref name="traffic_stats3">{{cite web|url=http://www.aai.aero/traffic_news/Mar2k17annex4.pdf|title=Traffic News for the month of March 2017: Annexure-IV|work=[[Airports Authority of India]]|date=27 April 2017|access-date=27 April 2017|page=3|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170428052947/http://www.aai.aero/traffic_news/Mar2k17annex4.pdf|archive-date=28 April 2017}}</ref>
}}

'''Kushok Bakula Rimpochee Airport''' {{airport codes|IXL|VILH}} is an airport in [[Leh]], the capital of [[Ladakh]], [[India]]. It is the 23rd [[List of highest commercial airports|highest commercial airport]] in the world at {{convert|3256|m|0|abbr=on}} [[above mean sea level]]. The airport is named after [[19th Kushok Bakula Rinpoche]], an [[India]]n statesman and monk, whose [[Spituk Monastery]] is in direct vicinity to the airfield.

== Military use ==

Due to the presence of mountain winds in the afternoon, all flights take off and land in the morning. The approach is challenging as it is unidirectional and has high terrain towards the eastern end of the airport.{{citation needed|date=November 2021}} [[Airport security]] is tight with [[Indian Army]] patrols. Due to its location in between the Himalayas, the approach to Leh Airport has been named as one of the world's most scenic approaches.<ref>{{Citation|last=Oscar Boyd|title=Highest Airports in the World: Landing in Leh (Air India) {{!}} 4K|date=21 October 2017|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AFtLAzNIAQA}}</ref>

==Civilian use==

===Civil aviation enclave===

In February 2016, it was reported that the [[Indian Air Force]] has handed the airport to [[Airports Authority of India]] and AAI will expand it for civilian purposes.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/srinagar/IAF-to-vacate-Leh-airport-to-develop-base-at-alternate-site/articleshow/50886778.cms|title=IAF to vacate Leh airport, to develop base at alternate site|date=6 February 2016}}</ref> But those reports of IAF vacating the entire air base were dismissed by Ministry of Defence and Leh Deputy Commissioner. They clarified that the IAF would vacate only a small part of land for construction of a new terminal.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.tribuneindia.com/news/jammu-kashmir/community/no-plans-to-vacate-leh-air-base-iaf/193814.html|title=No plans to vacate Leh air base: IAF|date=9 February 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/industry/transportation/airlines-/-aviation/new-terminal-to-be-built-at-leh-airport-for-rs-200-crore/articleshow/53326430.cms|title=New terminal to be built at Leh airport for Rs 2 billion|date=21 July 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.tribuneindia.com/news/jammu-kashmir/leh-airport-on-expansion-mode-as-air-force-gives-11-acres-to-aai/445093.html|title=Leh airport on expansion mode as Air Force gives 11 acres to AAI|date=1 August 2017}}</ref>

Construction of new terminal has been completed.

==Airlines and destinations==
===Passenger===
[[File:Aerial View of Leh Kushok Bakula Rinpoche Airport (IXL) Ladakh Jammu & Kashmir India.jpg|thumb|Kushok Bakula Rinpoche Airport]]
{{Airport-dest-list|3rdcoltitle={{Abbr|Refs.|References}}|3rdcolunsortable=yes

|[[Air India]]|[[Chandigarh Airport|Chandigarh]], [[Indira Gandhi International Airport|Delhi]], [[Jammu Airport|Jammu]], [[Sheikh ul-Alam International Airport|Srinagar]]|<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.airindia.in/time-table.htm|title=Air India Timetable|work=Air India|access-date=12 January 2020}}</ref>
|[[Go First (airline)|Go First]]<ref>{{cite news|title=Budget airline GoAir rebrands as Go First|url=https://www.thehindu.com/business/budget-airline-goair-rebrands-as-go-first/article34552775.ece}}</ref>| [[Indira Gandhi International Airport|Delhi]]|<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.goair.in/plan-my-trip/flight-schedule/|title=GoAir flight schedule|work=GoAir|access-date=12 January 2020}}</ref>
|[[IndiGo]]|[[Chandigarh Airport|Chandigarh]], [[Indira Gandhi International Airport|Delhi]], [[Jammu Airport|Jammu]]<ref name="IndiGo New Flights">{{cite web|url=https://www.goindigo.in/information/new-flights.html?linkNav=new-flights_header|title=IndiGo New Flights Information|work=IndiGo|accessdate=15 October 2021}}</ref>|<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.moneycontrol.com/news/india/indigo-to-launch-flight-services-between-delhi-leh-on-february-22-6355571.html|title=IndiGo to launch flight services between Delhi, Leh on February 22|work=Moneycontrol|access-date=16 January 2021}}</ref>
|[[SpiceJet]]|[[Indira Gandhi International Airport|Delhi]], [[Sheikh ul-Alam International Airport|Srinagar]]|<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.spicejet.com/Schedules.aspx|title=SpiceJet flight schedule|work=SpiceJet|access-date=12 January 2020}}</ref>
|[[Vistara]]|[[Indira Gandhi International Airport|Delhi]]|<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.airvistara.com/trip/flightschedule|title=Vistara flight schedule|work=Vistara|access-date=12 January 2020}}</ref>
}}

===Cargo===
{{Airport destination list|3rdcoltitle={{Abbr|Refs.|References}}|3rdcolunsortable=yes
| [[SpiceJet|SpiceXpress]] | [[Indira Gandhi International Airport|Delhi]]|<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.business-standard.com/article/companies/spicejet-launches-dedicated-freighter-services-to-leh-in-ladakh-120112600827_1.html|title=SpiceJet launches dedicated freighter services to Leh in Ladakh|work=Business Standard|access-date=10 December 2020}}</ref>
}}

==References==
{{reflist}}

== External links ==
* [https://www.aai.aero/en/airports/leh Kushok Bakula Rimpochee Airport] at [[Airports Authority of India]] website.
* [https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/defence/iaf-to-have-7-operational-advanced-landing-grounds-in-arunachal-pradesh-in-a-month/articleshow/49809013.cms?from=mdr IAF's ALG]

{{Airports in India}}
{{Ladakh}}
{{authority control}}

{{Indian Air Force}}

[[Category:Transport in Leh]]
[[Category:Airports in Ladakh]]
[[Category:Airports with year of establishment missing]]

{{India-airport-stub}}

Kushok Bakula Rimpochee Airport - Revision history

->2006nishan178713 at 15:56, 7 November 2021