Nepal earthquake: Killer Tenzing-Hillary airport at Lukla becomes transit point for rescue operations

It is a tragedy Nepal can hardly afford.

Sitting across the runway at the southern end, hundreds, if not thousands, of tired eyes are fixed on the actions of the men from the 'tower', at the other end. These men, just three to be precise, operating the Air Traffic Control hold the key to their flight out of the horror they witnessed when the earthquake ripped apart the Himalayan republic last week. In a town, officially known as the gateway to Mount Everest, where there are no vehicles or roads to ply them on, the four parking bays at Lukla's tiny Tenzing Hillary airport are the only means of exit.

But there are challenges.

From a 'normal' pace of operating three dozen landing and takeoffs, the situation now demands they operate nearly seventy five flights.

Acting air traffic controller Dinesh Koirala says he and two more colleagues put in at least 13 hours a day, every day. Originally from eastern Nepal, Koirala adds that the weather was just about fine till last Saturday when the quake rocked the country. "Ever since then, the pattern has become unpredictable. It rains, it becomes windy and even fog develops very quickly in the Lukla valley which hits our operations," he says. If you thought passengers are the only concern think again. Inside a small helipad alongside the ATC tower, where five small copters can operate from is another side to the operations out of Lukla. "They ferry the injured, dead bodies and the needy from the upper reaches like Camp One, Everest Base Camp (EBC) and the like," says Koirala as he points at the pad where another chopper of Fishtail Air readies itself for the journey upwards.

These are hardly encouraging signs for an airport known among aviation enthusiasts as one of the world's most dangerous and one which has been forced to almost double its operations overnight. From a 'normal' pace of operating three dozen landing and takeoffs, the situation now demands they operate nearly seventy five flights. This burden has fallen squarely on the shoulders of the three ATC personnel who have had little time to rest since last Saturday.

Children stand on the rubble of a collapsed house in Sindhupalchowk.

One look of this airport is enough to understand why it is declared as one of the world's most dangerous airport. With a runway length of 527 meters and if displaced threshold is separated only 460 meter is available. For the slightest error in judgment, a steep fall of 9500ft awaits the plane and crew. A top aviation ministry source based at aviation headquarters in Kathmandu told Mail Today that the sanctioned strength at Lukla is that of 3 controllers with two at a time in a shift. "However, operating Lukla with just 3 ATC controllers is very dangerous especially given the current pace. This is in fact a clear violation of ICAO guidelines. But trained manpower has been the biggest problem and government hasn't addressed the issue seriously. We are keeping our fingers crossed," he states.

Till now, over 2500 trekkers and tourists from 43 nations have been airlifted out of Lukla. While there is no firm data on the number still trapped, even with the tourist police, which is busy trying to draw up an estimate, insiders say atleast 1500 more still remain stranded in Lukla. This figure easily translates into a few more days of flying before the entire load is cleared.

The runway at Tenzing Hillary airport measures only 527 meters.

Along the Everest trail, at Chaurikharkha: "I'd rather die than leave"

North of Lukla, a trek of nearly an hour takes one to the Chaurikharkha village. A Sherpa dominated village of approximately hundred homes, it has turned into a poster town depicting the damage the region has suffered and the official apathy which has ensured no support from the administration has reached them.

Complicating matters is the fact that the town's only access the point, the airport, is for now solely focused on ensuring an outflow of passengers. Little aid and attention is left for those who have no option but to live there.

Indian Army personnel unload relief material.

When Mail Today visited them, most villagers were seen fending for themselves. Notwithstanding the dipping temperature, many had taken to living in greenhouses they had erected in their fields to grow tomatoes and cucumber. Buildings even if not damaged are seen here as unreliable. However, this is not the case for 81-year-old Gamshudar. Not only has his house suffered structurally but also the remnant is unstable but for him it still is not so bad that he'd leave. "I'd rather die here. This is a house we have owned for generations", he said. When asked, his daughter in law told us that while they had adequate food and water; the need of the hour was of tents. "But all we hear are promises made in the media," she said.

What it means to be stranded at Lukla

For the slightest error in judgment, a steep fall of 9500ft awaits the plane and crew at Lukla's tiny Tenzing Hillary airport.

The thing that strikes you about Lukla is how the incoming flights are absolutely empty.

When we booked the flight to get there, we were looking for a return flight too however not a single seat was available for days. Things became clearer on landing. Hundreds of people, mostly tourists, have made the departure lounge of the airport their home for the day. With Nepalese agents in tow, tourists are seen running, haggling, arguing in a bid to make it out of Lukla. The desperation, among the tourists, agents and the authorities is reaching its peak.

Passengers at Lukla's tiny Tenzing Hillary airport wait curiouly.

While most are either booked or want to reserve a seat to Kathmandu, very few actually manage to make it there. Airlines are diverting a large number of their planes to the industrial town of Biratnagar instead from where one needs to buy an additional ticket to Kathmandu. The two reasons cited for this include the congestion in Kathmandu airport on account of the massive aid pouring into Nepal and the unpredictable weather conditions. For those stranded at Lukla, this is nothing but a ploy to earn more. Some even complained that tickets were being privately auctioned to the highest bidder, in the process sidelining a genuine ticket holder. As a result, it is not difficult to find people with a confirmed ticket yet could not find a seat on the plane. Needless to say it adds to the backlog, which aggravates the situation.

Located at an altitude of 2860m also means the airport is susceptible to sudden changes in climatic conditions. "We had no civil flights at all and barely a handful on two successive days this week because of the weather," said an airport official.

If this is bad, the situation in the countryside is worse.

While drinking water and even food is not a problem as people are scurrying their fallen homes and are successfully finding food items, their accommodation is an issue. For tourists climbing down from the Everest trail, cost of essential commodities has gone up exponentially. While food and accommodation is available at ease inside Lukla, hardly anyone wants to remain there.

Lastly, tour operators and hotel owners are worried that while the earthquake has hit them during mid-season, the economic aftershocks will carry on till the very end of this year.