The World's Most Difficult Airport, Only Selected Pilots Dare to Land
JAKARTA - Imagine a 7,431-foot-long runway, surrounded by two 18,000-foot-high peaks in the Himalayas. That's where Paro International Airport (PBH) stands known as one of the most difficult airports in the world.
Not all pilots dare to land here, only about 50 pilots in Bhutan have special licenses to conquer this challenge.
In the cockpit of the plane, a statue of Buddha wrapped in an orange robe seemed to stare at the pilot as he made a dramatic maneuver in the last seconds to land the Airbus A319.
A dozen passengers who were gripping the seats with tension let out a sigh of relief and clapped their hands after landing safely.
"The landing was difficult, but not dangerous," Captain Chimi Dorji, a senior Druk Air pilot, was quoted as saying by CNN Travel.
"If it's dangerous, I won't fly here. The challenge is in the pilot's skills," he continued.
Paro Airport is a C category, meaning pilots must undergo special training and land manually without radar. A little mistake can be fatal, because the plane can land in people's homes.
In addition, weather and altitude make landing more challenging. Paro is at 7,382 feet above sea level, and Bhutan is 97% mountainous.
At high altitudes, the air is thinner so planes have to fly faster relative to the ground. Morning is the favorite time to land because the wind is calmer, while midday tends to be risky because of thermal winds.
The monsoon season adds to the challenge with lightning storms and golf ball-sized hail not uncommon between June and August.
"An important part of pilot training is not just knowing how to fly, but also knowing when not to fly," Dorji said.
Paro is often referred to as an airport where only a few pilots dare to land. According to some international aviation sources, Paro is on the list of the most difficult airports along with Tenzing-Hillary in Nepal, Lukla in the Himalayas, and Princess Juliana in the Caribbean.
"Not all pilots dare to land here," CNN Travel wrote.
Pilot skills in Paro have to be perfect, they can only see the runway when it's almost touching it, and have to navigate between two high mountains. Local expertise and knowledge of the area are key.
Although Paro remains the main challenge, Bhutan is developing a new airport in Gelephu that is flatter and can accommodate jumbo jets. This allows Bhutan to open direct flight routes from America, Europe, and the Middle East.
Druk Air, the national airline, is also focusing on training a new generation of pilots. Dorji, who is now a bridge between the old and new generations, is optimistic.
"The number of pilots in Bhutan may be only 50 now, but it will grow rapidly in the next few years," he said.
For those looking for a different experience, landing in Paro is not just a flight, it is an adrenaline-filled challenge that can only be conquered by the world's best pilots.