Simikot airport located at Humla, which has been out of operation due to heavy snowfall can be expected to come back into operation as officials of the airport have started clearing snowfall of the airport zone.
After the only transportation of the remote area, Simikot airport was closed down, it created difficulties for patients and tourists in travelling.
Mahesh Kumar Pokharel, chief district officer stated that after the lives of Humla was affected by snowfall, the work of clearing snow of the airport zone was started.
He said, “there is possibility of scarcity of daily consumables goods in the district, if the air service is closed for one more week.” So we have been trying to clear the snow and resumes the flight operations, he added.
The flight operation at Humla has been disrupted from January 21, 2019. This is the third time of snowfall in this year and there is over 2 feet snow at the airport area.
Snow on a runway results decrease in the flight performance as it reduces friction, reduces contrast, obscures runway markings, and creates hazards. Most mishaps occur during the landing phase, but snow is also known to bite pilots during takeoff and taxi operations.
Simikot Airport is located at an elevation of 9,751 ft (2,971 m) above mean sea level. The airport possess a Single asphalt runway of a length of 650 meters aligned to 010 degrees and 280 degrees serving as one of the country’s busiest domestic airport these days.
