Kullu–Manali Airport
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 | ||||||||||
| Map | |||||||||||
KUU Location of airport in India KUU KUU (India) | |||||||||||
| Runways | |||||||||||
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| Statistics (April 2022 – March 2023) | |||||||||||
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Source: AAI | |||||||||||
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. Kingfisher Airlines ceased operations in September 2012 while Air India Regional resumed its operations to Kullu in May 2013. Himalayan Bulls in collaboration with Deccan Charters has commenced Kullu-Chandigarh-Kullu flights thrice a day from 2 April 2014.