June 11 ,2017
Simikot Airport located on Hilsa region recorded highest flight movement on June 9, 2017 due to the rapid flow of pilgrims to the journey to Kailash Mansarover, one of the best trekking destinations in the remote western part of Nepal.
The total flight movement on June 9 was 268 which is the highest ever achievement for the Simikot Airport. 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.
Kaliash Mansarover is considered most auspicious to make a religious pilgrimage around its fifty-three kilometres circuit (32 miles parikrama). Mount Kailash is highly revered for the being the abode of Lord Shiva. Every year, hundreds of devotees embark on the treacherous journey to this peak for seeking the blessings of the Lord and take a dip in the holy Mansarover Lake.
The senior officer of Simikot Airport Lila Prasad Shrestha said, “The majority of pilgrims travelling to Kailash Mansarover are from India. We faced highest number of flight movement on Friday (June 9) whereas on Saturday (June 10) the total number of flights was 196. The weather is supporting the smooth flow of flights however; the wind becomes aggressive to some extent after noon.”
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.
