Sukilumba Airport

Sukilumba Airport
IATA: — ICAO: —
Summary
Airport type	Public
Owner	Government of Nepal
Operator	Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal
Serves	Ilam Municipality, Nepal
Coordinates	26°52′39.0786″N 87°54′18.5538″E
Map
Sukilumba Airport Location of airport in Nepal
Runways
Direction Length Surface m ft 08/26[1] 670 2,198 Asphalt
Source:[2]

Sukilumba Airport (IATA: —, ICAO: —), also known as Ilam Airport, is a domestic airport located in Ilam serving Ilam District, a district in Koshi Province in Nepal. Flight time from Kathmandu to Sukilumba Airport is about one hour.[3]

History

According to The Rising Nepal, constructions on the airport first began in 2011.[4] In February 2015, construction ground to a halt as the project ran out of funds.[5] In 2018, the first test flight landed at the airport.[6] However, due to insufficient funds, the further construction of the airport was delayed.[7] In 2021, Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal deemed the airport to be ready for operation.[8] At the time of opening, the airport is served without a terminal building. Another test flight by Nepal Airlines was carried out on 9 February 2022.[9] The airport was opened on 13 February 2022[10] with flights by Tara Air, whereas Nepal Airlines planned to operate flights but these plans did not yet materialize.[11]

Facilities

The airport resides at an elevation of 1,893 feet (577 m) above mean sea level. It has one runway which is 670 metres (2,198 ft) in length.[2]

Airlines and destinations

Airlines	Destinations
Tara Air	Kathmandu[12]
Nepal Airlines	Kathmandu[13][14]

See also

• List of airports in Nepal

References

1. "Inauguration of Falgunanda Sukilumba Airport in Ilam". Tourism Mail. 13 February 2022. Archived from the original on 13 February 2022. Retrieved 17 February 2022.
2. "Falgunand Sukilumba Airport". CAPA. Archived from the original on 17 February 2022. Retrieved 17 February 2022.
3. "इलाम विमानस्थलमा माघदेखि नियमित उडान गर्ने तयारीमा नेवानि – Online Khabar". 2023-01-08. Archived from the original on 2023-01-08. Retrieved 2023-01-09.
4. Adhikari, Prem (14 February 2022). "Sukilumba Airport Ready After 11 Years". The Rising Nepal. Archived from the original on 14 February 2022. Retrieved 17 February 2022.
5. "Airport project stalls for lack of funds". 2023-01-09. Archived from the original on 2023-01-09. Retrieved 2023-01-09.
6. Gautam, Laxmi (4 June 2018). "Ilam's Sukilumba Airport conducts successful test flight". The Himalayan Times. Archived from the original on 17 February 2022. Retrieved 17 February 2022.
7. Rai, Pinkey (9 February 2019). "Falgunanda Sukilumba Airport gains no momentum for construction". Aviation Nepal. Archived from the original on 17 February 2022. Retrieved 17 February 2022.
8. Chapagain, Bhim (15 April 2021). "Falgunanda Sukilumba Airport ready for operation". República. Archived from the original on 13 February 2022. Retrieved 17 February 2022.
9. "CAAN - A test flight has been carried out at the Sukilumba Airport, Ilam ". 2023-01-09. Archived from the original on 2023-01-09. Retrieved 2023-01-09.
10. "फाल्गुनान्द सुकिलुम्बा विमानस्थलको धावनमार्गको समुद्घाटन सु-सम्पन्न" (in Nepali). Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal. 13 February 2022. Archived from the original on 13 February 2022. Retrieved 17 February 2022.
11. "Commercial flights from Ilam to Kathmandu from 21 February". Mount Everest Today. 9 February 2022. Archived from the original on 17 February 2022. Retrieved 17 February 2022.
12. "A new destination has been added to our widest network, ILAM". Tara Air. Retrieved 17 February 2022.
13. "Nepal Airlines to operate flights to Falgunanda Sukilumba Airport". República. Retrieved 9 January 2023.
14. "Domestic Schedule". Nepal Airlines. Retrieved 24 April 2023.