Kullu–Manali Airport (IATA: KUU, ICAO: VIBR), also called Bhuntar Airport, is a domestic airport serving the cities of Kullu and Manali in the Indian state of Himachal Pradesh. The airport is located at Bhuntar, 11 km from Kullu town and 52 km from Manali.
Kullu–Manali Airport | |||||||||||
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| Summary | |||||||||||
| Airport type | Public | ||||||||||
| Owner | Government of India | ||||||||||
| Operator | Airports Authority of India | ||||||||||
| Serves | Kullu, Manali | ||||||||||
| Location | Bhuntar, Kullu, Himachal Pradesh, India | ||||||||||
| Elevation AMSL | 1,089 m / 3,573 ft | ||||||||||
| Coordinates | 31°52′36″N 77°09′16″E / 31.87667°N 77.15444°E | ||||||||||
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  KUU Location of airport in India  KUU KUU (India) | |||||||||||
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| Runways | |||||||||||
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| Statistics (April 2023 – March 2024) | |||||||||||
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The airport is considered a challenging airport for pilots because of its single runway set in a deep valley whose peaks rise several thousand feet higher than the runway. Also, the airport is located on the banks of the river Beas, and in 1995, its flash floods posed a threat to the runway. The new air terminal at Bhuntar was inaugurated in 2008, and the airport apron enlarged to park two aircraft at a time.[4] Kingfisher Airlines ceased operations in September 2012[5] while Air India Regional resumed its operations to Kullu in May 2013.[6] Himalayan Bulls, in collaboration with Deccan Charters, commenced Kullu-Chandigarh-Kullu flights thrice a day from 2 April 2014. As of April 2024, Alliance Air is the sole airline operating to and from the airport.
Upgrades
editIn order to strengthen air connectivity in the state, the Himachal Pradesh Government plans to upgrade the airport. The Indian Institute of Technology, (IIT) Roorkee has prepared a detailed feasibility report for expanding the airport runway by 550 metres at a cost of Rs. 248 crore. The Airports Authority of India (AAI), which operates the airport, has planned an extension of another 60 metres.[7]
Airlines and destinations
edit| Airlines | Destinations |
|---|---|
| Alliance Air | Amritsar,[8] Dehradun,[9] Delhi, Jaipur |
Statistics
editGraphs are unavailable due to technical issues. There is more info on Phabricator and on MediaWiki.org. |
References
edit- ^ "Annexure III – Passenger Data" (PDF). aai.aero. Retrieved 22 April 2024.
- ^ "Annexure II – Aircraft Movement Data" (PDF). aai.aero. Retrieved 22 April 2024.
- ^ "Annexure IV – Freight Movement Data" (PDF). aai.aero. Retrieved 22 April 2024.
- ^ "Flight to safety". The Indian Express. 20 June 2010. Retrieved 18 April 2012.
- ^ "Kingfisher shuts down operation in Himachal". Hindustan Times. 30 September 2012. Archived from the original on 8 February 2013. Retrieved 24 October 2012.
- ^ "Air India to start flights to Dharamsala, Kullu today". The Indian Express. 15 May 2013. Retrieved 13 June 2013.
- ^ "Himachal keen to expand airports". Zeenews.india.com. 6 April 2012. Retrieved 18 April 2012.
- ^ "Alliance Air to commence Amritsar-Kullu service in Oct-2023". CAPA. Retrieved 25 September 2023.
- ^ Vashisht, Abhinav (5 June 2024). "Alliance Air to start additional Kullu-Delhi flights from July 3". The Tribune. Retrieved 8 June 2024.
Airline to launch Kullu-Dehradun direct flights from June 18
External links
edit- IAF's ALG
- Air Marshal K. K. Nohwar, Pace of Infrastructure Development in Border Areas: Adequate?, Centre for Air Power Studies, 13 March 2018
- Accident history for KUU at Aviation Safety Network
- Kullu Manali Airport at Airports Authority of India web site
- Himalayan Bulls Archived 14 April 2014 at the Wayback Machine