Simikot Airport

Simikot Airport
Tara Air Twin Otter at Simikot
IATA: IMK – ICAO: VNST
Summary
Airport type	Public
Serves	Simikot, Nepal
Elevation AMSL	9,246 ft / 2,818 m
Coordinates	29°58′16″N 081°49′08″E / 29.97111°N 81.81889°E / 29.97111; 81.81889Coordinates: 29°58′16″N 081°49′08″E / 29.97111°N 81.81889°E / 29.97111; 81.81889
Map
VNST Location in Nepal
Runways
Direction Length Surface m ft 549 1,801 Black Topped
Source: Great Circle Mapper[1]

Simikot Airport (IATA: IMK, ICAO: VNST) is an airport serving Simikot,^[1] a town in the Humla district of the Karnali zone in Nepal. This airport has recently been surfaced.

Facilities

The airport resides at an elevation of 9,246 ft (2,818 m) above mean sea level. It has one runway which is 549 m (1,801 ft) in length.^[1] The runway has recently been improved and extended with more infrastructure being built. As a result of this construction the parking facilities and terminals also have seen some improvement.

Airlines and destinations

Pilgrims and Trekkers bound for Lake Manasarovar and Mount Kailash in China's Tibet Autonomous Region fly into Simikot and proceed to the international border at Hilsa on foot^[4] or by helicopter. ^[5]

Accidents and incidents

• On 23 June 2011, Tara Air Dornier Do 228 9N-AGQ was substantially damaged in a heavy landing and runway excursion. The aircraft was operating a cargo flight from Nepalgunj Airport, Nepal.^[6]

See also

List of airports in Nepal

References

1. 1 2 3 Airport information for Simikot, Nepal (VNST / IMK) at Great Circle Mapper.
2. ↑ "Schedule Effective from 15 May, 2010 to 30 October, 2010". Nepal Airlines. Retrieved 7 June 2010. 
3. ↑ http://www.taraair.com/
4. ↑ Thubron, Colin (2011). To a Mountain in Tibet. New York: Harper Collins. Retrieved Dec 29, 2013. 
5. ↑ "Mount Kailash Yatra by Helicopter Via Nepalgunj/Simikot/Hilsa/Taklakot". LantangRi Trekking. Retrieved Dec 29, 2013. 
6. ↑ Hradecky, Simon. "Accident: Tara D228 at Simikot on Jun 23rd 2011, hard landing results in runway excursion and gear collapse". Aviation Herald. Retrieved 25 June 2011. 

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Simikot Airport.

• Accident history for IMK / VNST at Aviation Safety Network

Airports in Nepal International Kathmandu (KTM) Domestic Scheduled Bajura (BJU) Badhrapur (BDP) Bharatpur (BHR) Bhojpur (BHP) Biratnagar (BIR) Birendranagar (SKH) Chandran Nath (JUM) Dhagandhi (DHI) Dolpa (DOP) Janakpur (JKR) Jomsom (JMO) Kantong Bazar (TMK) Lamidanda (LDN) Lukla (LUA) Manthali (RHP) Meghauli (MEY) Mugu (VNT1) Nepalgunj (KEP) Phaplu (PPL) Pokhara (PKR) Rukumkot (RUK) Rumjatar (RUM) Siddharthanagar (BWA) Simara (SIF) Simikot (IMK) Tulsipur (DNP) Tumlingtar (TMI) Unscheduled Baglung (BGL) Baitadi (BIT) Bajhang (BJH) Bhim Datta (XMG) Darchula (DAP) Dipayal (SIH) Kamal Bazar Kangel Danda (VNKL) Khanidanda (KDN) Langtang (LTG) Manang (NGX) Rajbiraj (RJB) Rolpa (RPA) Sanphebagar (FEB) Syangboche (SYH) Taplejung (TPJ) Tikapur (TPU) Defunct Gorkha (GKH) Unscheduled airports may be scheduled at certain times