The Indian union-territory of Ladakh currently has only one airport meant for civilian flights, the Kushok Bakula Rimpochee Airport in Leh. The airport at Leh is jointly operated by the Airports Authority of India and the Indian Air Force. There is another airport at Kargil, but it is currently used for defence purposes only. Several airstrips have been built by the Indian Air Force in Ladakh in the past to improve connectivity and for security purposes. Since the start of 2020–2022 China–India skirmishes, the Government of India has pushed for improving the existing aviation infrastructure across Ladakh.[1][2]
The new terminal at Kushok Bakula Rimpochee Airport is proposed to be opened in December 2022.[3] There have been proposals to enable the Kargil Airport and Thoise Airport for handling commercial flights but there has not been significant progress.[4][5][6]
List
The list includes the airports in Ladakh with their respective ICAO and IATA codes.[7]
| Sl. no. | Location in Ladakh | Airport name | ICAO | IATA | Operator | Category | Role |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Domestic Airports | |||||||
| 1 | Leh | Kushok Bakula Rimpochee Airport | VILH | IXL | Airports Authority of India | Domestic airport | Commercial/Defence |
| Military Airbases | |||||||
| 1 | Chushul | Chushul ALG | none | none | Indian Air Force | Military airstrip | Defence |
| 2 | Daulat Beg Oldi | Daulat Beg Oldi ALG | none | none | Indian Air Force | Military airstrip | Defence |
| 3 | Fukche | Fukche ALG | VI66 | none | Indian Air Force | Military airstrip | Defence |
| 4 | Kargil | Kargil Airport | VI65 | none | Indian Air Force | Military airstrip | Defence |
| 5 | Nyoma | Nyoma ALG | none | none | Indian Air Force | Military airstrip | Defence |
| 6 | Tangtse | Tangtse ALG | none | none | Indian Air Force | Military airstrip (Proposed) | Defence |
| 7 | Thoise | Thoise ALG | VI57 | none | Indian Air Force | Military airport | Defence |
References
- ↑ "India plans 4 airports, 37 helipads for boosting Ladakh connectivity". Economic Times. Retrieved 18 July 2021.
- ↑ "Central wildlife panel nod to upgrade IAF base, other strategic projects near LAC in Ladakh". The Hindu. Retrieved 9 September 2022.
- ↑ "New Leh airport terminal likely to become operational by Dec 2022: Govt". Business Standard. Retrieved 21 December 2021.
- ↑ "11 Airports in Jammu & Kashmir and 2 in Ladakh for Bidding in UDAN 4.0". Press Information Bureau, India. Retrieved 5 December 2019.
- ↑ "Secy Aviation explores air connectivity in Kargil with CMD SpiceJet". Daily Excelsior. Retrieved 1 July 2021.
- ↑ "Civil Aviation Ministry team visits Kargil Airport for exploring civil operations". Ladakh Administration. Retrieved 13 July 2021.
- ↑ "List of Airports in India:" (PDF). Airports Authority of India. Retrieved 11 September 2022.
