Paro International Airport (VQPR) in Bhutan is universally recognised as having the most challenging and potentially dangerous runway landing in the world. However, as the sole international airport in Bhutan, it remains a critical station. We’ve put together the information you need to plan a non-scheduled flight operation to Paro.
Passengers flying to this remote region may have to take something to steady their nerves. The small airport is located in the Himalayas is said to have the most difficult and dangerous take-offs and landings of any airport in the world. Paro Airport is 1.5 miles above sea level and surrounded by sharp peaks of up to 18,000ft. The terrain is so perilous that only eight pilots in the entire world are qualified to land there. The runway is just 6,500 feet long making it one of the few runways in the world that is shorter than the airport’s elevation above sea level. To land there, planes must weave through dozens of houses scattered across the mountainside, often coming with mere feet of clipping the roofs. That said, it remains an important station for connectivity to the country and an estimated 30,000 tourists use the remote airport each year. Here are some points to consider before planning a trip to Paro International Airport.
Permit Notice Period
The deadline for the application is ten days before arrival. Being a hugely challenging airport to fly into, there are only eight qualified pilots in the world who can navigate aircraft through the terrain. Therefore, it is pertinent to plan your mission to Paro well in advance.
Requirement of Navigator Pilot
As per standing instructions from DCA (Department of Civil Aviation) Bhutan, an approved navigator pilot (of which there are only eight) is needed to navigate the aircraft through the tricky Himalayan terrain and ensure a safe landing at Paro airport. The cost of hiring a navigator will include their travel and lodging cost to the airport they will be picked up from along with their daily stipends.
Schedule
Paro International Airport is a Category ‘C’ day VFR operations. Flights are only allowed during the day, and only under certain meteorological conditions – this means incredibly strict light allowances in which the pilot must make judgements with a naked eye. Also, it’s advisable to operate in the early hours of the day to avoid gusty afternoon winds.
Fuel
Fuel at Paro International Airport is available from only one vendor. Cash payment in USD is the only mode of payment accepted for fuel uplifts.
Ground Handling
Bhutan Air Services is the only ground handling company at Paro International Airport. All requests and subsequent arrangements related to ground handling are made through the single window ops control centre.
Visa Prior Arrival
All crew and passengers must be in possession of valid Bhutanese visa prior to their arrival into Paro.
Transport and Hotel Arrangement
As it is located in a valley, there is a limited choice of hotels in the airport vicinity. There are some good options in the national capital Thimpu, about an hour’s drive from the airport. An advanced reservation with hotels is recommended. Also, due to limited movements at the airport, there are limited transportation options so you will need an agent to assist with hotel reservations and transport arrangements.
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Mitch Launius
Instructor Pilot for 30 West IP
Mitch is the CEO of 30 West IP where he is also an instructor providing pilot training on international procedures. With an illustrious career of over 34 years in the cockpit, Mitch has acquired over 13,000 hours of flight time flying worldwide, with over 9,000 hours of this in Challenger and Gulfstream aircraft. He is an experienced safety officer and was also an IS-BAO project manager for a fortune 500 flight department. He has presented on Safety and Operations topics at the NBAA International Operators Conference and the Canadian Business Aviation Association Convention and is currently on the NBAA International Operators Committee and serves as the North Atlantic Regional Lead. Mitch is also a member of an FAA working group on General Aviation International Authorizations and Tabletop Exercises (GIATE). He was recently selected to represent IBAC as a member of the ICAO Personal Training and Licensing Panel (PTLP) and was also recently named as a 2020 recipient of the NBAA Tony Kern Professionalism in Aviation Award for his contribution to the business aviation community.
Henry ‘Duke’ LeDuc
Director Of Operations, Americas, UAS International Trip Support
Duke has been a dearly respected member of UAS Americas team and the UAS global family for more than five years. A safety-oriented, FAA-licensed aircraft dispatcher, he oversees all of the operations of the elite UAS Operations Team. With twenty-five years of experience in aviation overall with more than fifteen years of experience in international flight planning and VVIP trip coordination, he is responsible for the development of the dispatch training program and involved in the strategic development of UAS Americas. With a myriad of rich aviation experience behind him, he has extensive experience in worldwide operations with both corporate and charter environments, including seven years as Operations/Dispatch Manager in an industry-leading, Fortune 500, IS-BAO Stage III Certified corporate flight department. Duke is frequently asked shares his knowledge at major industry events and is currently serving on the NBAA’s International Operators Conference (IOC) Planning Committee.
Dudley King
President and Founder, FlightBridge
Dudley is the Founder and President of FlightBridge, which he established in 2011 and has been focused on technology solutions for the private aviation industry since 2006. Since he graduated from Dartmouth in 1988, he has worked with an array of companies listed anywhere from VentureWire to the Fortune 100. A rare blend of executive, entrepreneur, and consultant, Dudley’s executive roles have included acting CIO positions for several companies and tech advisory services to CEOs trying to rebuild their technology organizations or looking for an external, professional point of view. Highly skilled at deeply understanding his customer’s business challenges and drawing from a long and varied experience in information technology services, Dudley excels at designing technology solutions to solve their problems.
Dr. Paulo Alves
Global Medical Director, Aviation Health, Medaire
Paulo has extensive experience in medical advisory in the aviation industry. As a cardiologist, he provides technical guidance and analysis for MedAire’s MedLink medical advisory service and is MedAire’s liaison with civil aviation regulators and industry associations. Paulo worked with Varig Brazilian Airlines for 23 years, 10 of which were spent as General Medical Manager. A member of the MedAire Medical Advisory Board, Paulo is also President of the Ibero-American Aerospace Medical Association, a member of the International Academy of Aerospace Medicine, a member of the National Business Aviation Association (NBAA) Safety Committee, a Fellow of the Aerospace Medical Association (AsMA), and a Fellow of the Civil Aviation Medical Association. Throughout his illustrious career, Paulo has held industry leadership roles including Chairperson of the AsMA’s Air Transport Medicine Committee, President of the Airlines Medical Directors Association, President of the Brazilian Society of Aerospace Medicine and was a member of the IATA Medical Advisory Group from 2002 to 2006.
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