Bhutan’s Paro International Airport (PBH), is widely considered one of the most technically difficult plane landings in the world.
Paro International Airport is Bhutan’s sole international airport, located in the Paro Valley, about 6 kilometers from the town of Paro and 34 miles (55 km) from the capital, Thimphu.
Navigating a short runway nestled between two 18,000-foot peaks demands both technical expertise and a steady nerve.
The airport’s difficult conditions contribute to the allure of traveling to Bhutan, a Himalayan kingdom with a population of around 800,000.
Due to the unique flying challenges at Paro, larger jumbo jets are unable to land, but for aviation enthusiasts, this only adds to the attraction of visiting the Land of the Thunder Dragon.
The airport operates at an elevation of 2,235 meters (7,330 feet), and due to the terrain, flights are only allowed to operate during daylight hours under visual flight rules.
Only a handful of pilots are certified to land at Paro due to these demanding conditions.
The airport itself is small but beautifully designed, reflecting traditional Bhutanese architectural styles with colorful woodwork and intricate designs.
First things first: Paro is “difficult, but not dangerous,” says Captain Chimi Dorji, who has been working at Bhutan’s national state-owned airline, Druk Air (aka Royal Bhutan Airlines), for 25 years.
“It is challenging on the skill of the pilot, but it’s not dangerous, because if it were dangerous, I wouldn’t be flying.”
A unique blend of geographic factors makes Paro—and much of Bhutan—breathtakingly beautiful, but also turns flying in and out of Paro into a highly specialised skill.
As a Category C airport, Paro requires pilots to undergo special training. Landings must be performed manually, without the assistance of radar.
As Dorji explains, pilots need to be intimately familiar with the terrain surrounding the airport—deviating by even a fraction of an inch could result in landing on top of a house.
“In Paro, you really need to have the local skills and local knowledge area competence. We call it area competence training or area training or route training from flying from anywhere into Paro,” he tells CNN Travel.
Bhutan, which is located between China and India, has more than 97 percent mountains. Its capital, Thimpu, is 7,710 feet (2,350 metres) above sea level. Paro is slightly lower, clocking in at 7,382 feet.