Situated at an elevation of 10,000 feet in the Himalaya Mountains of Nepal, Lukla’s airport is undoubtedly the most dangerous in the world. Tenzing-Hillary Airport (VNLK), named after the famous first climbers to summit Mount Everest, features a single 1500 foot runway with a 12% slope gradient. The airport serves as the main arrival point for people planning on climbing Mount Everest, and is situated near the main base camp. The airport is serviced by a variety of small regional airlines operating flights mostly to Kathmandu, Nepal’s capital. These flights are operated by DHC-6 Twin Otters, Dornier 228’s, Pilatus PC-6’s, and the occasional helicopter. The terminal has 4 stands for small commercial prop-planes and a single helipad. Lukla has a small operating control tower.The 1500 foot long and 65 foot wide runway 06-24, with its gradient of 12%, is also one of the steepest runways in the world. All aircraft must land uphill on Runway 6 and must depart downhill on 24. There is literally no chance of a successful go-around or aborted takeoff at Lukla. At Southwest end is a 2000′ foot drop into the valley and at the opposite end is rugged terrain.