Simikot Airport located on Hilsa region received hefty flight movement from May 5, 2017 to June 25, 2017 following rapid flow of pilgrims to the journey to Kailash Mansarover, one of the best trekking destinations in the remote western part of Nepal.
Operation In-charge of Simikot Airport Lila Prasad Shrestha said, “The airspace of Simikot-Hilsa served a total of 8296 pilgrims travelling to Kailash Mountain and Mansarover from May 5 to June 25, 2017. Civil Aviation Authority of Simikot expresses sincere gratitude to locals, travel companies, airline companies, security personnel, hotel operators, and airport workers. We are expecting similar type of support from everyone in coming days.”
Simikot Airport recorded highest ever flight movement on June 9, 2017 which was 268. The 268 flights consisted of 135 takeoffs and 133 landings out of which 32 flights were executed by Tara Air, Sita Air, Goma Air and Simrik Airlines from Nepalgunj and Surkhet. Remaining flights on Simikot-Hilsa-Simikot and Simikot-Raling Gumba-Simikot routes were conducted by heli-operators namely Mountain Helicopters, Simrik Air, Fishtail Air, Shree Air and Air Dynasty. Previously on June 18, 2016 the airport encountered 124 takeoffs and 124 landings contributing to a total of 248 flight movements.
Simikot airport is located at an elevation of 9,751 ft (2,971 m) above mean sea level. The airport has Single asphalt runway of a length of 650 meters aligned to 0100 degrees and 280 degrees serving as one of the country’s busiest domestic airport these days.
Under standard VFR (Visual Flight Rules), Simikot Airport permits fixed wing aircraft to operate at the visibility of 5000m with airport ceiling (ceiling is a measurement of the height of the base of the lowest clouds that cover more than half of the sky) of 1500ft. whereas it is 1000m for helicopters. Fixed wing aircraft are not allowed to operate at wind speed more than 10 knots.
