Nepal flight crash: Table-top runways are risky, India has five of them

Five airports in India have table-top runways, which are situated on elevated terrain, with steep drops on one or more sides, leaving minimal margin for error

A passenger plane carrying 19 people crashed during takeoff in Kathmandu, Nepal on Wednesday (July 24), various media outlets reported. Fire crews are currently working to extinguish the flaming wreckage. The Saurya Airlines plane went down at approximately 11.15 am, according to a statement from Nepal’s military.

“Rescue work is going on,” the statement said, with the army’s quick response team providing assistance.

Spotlight on table-top runways

The recent crash has renewed attention on table-top runways, which have been the site of significant plane accidents worldwide. These runways are situated on elevated terrain, with steep drops on one or more sides, leaving minimal margin for error. If a plane overshoots the runway, it can crash down the slope.

India too has five airports with table-top runways: Shimla, Calicut, Mangalore, Lengpui (Mizoram), and Pakyong (Sikkim), according to a NDTV report. 

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), India’s civil aviation regulator, conducts periodic reviews of table-top airports to ensure passenger safety. In 2022, a DGCA official stated that the reviews aim to prevent unforeseen incidents and explore ways to make landings at these airports less challenging.

In 1977, Portugal’s Madeira airport, which also has a table-top runway, reported a crash when an Air Portugal Flight 425 overshot and crashed onto a beach, killing 131 people.

Even Nepal, with its poor air travel safety record, has reported crashes involving table-top runways. On May 27, 2017, a cargo plane crashed at Tenzing-Hillary Airport in Solukhumbu, which features a similar runway.

Why is air transport risky in Nepal?

In recent years, Nepal’s air industry has seen significant growth, transporting goods and people to remote areas, as well as serving foreign trekkers and climbers. However, the sector has struggled with safety issues, attributed to inadequate training and maintenance. As a result, the European Union has prohibited all Nepali carriers from its airspace over safety concerns.

The country’s challenging geography further exacerbates its poor aviation safety record. Nepal’s Himalayan terrain features some of the world’s most difficult runways, surrounded by snow-capped peaks and complex approaches that challenge even seasoned pilots. Rapid weather changes in the mountains also create hazardous flying conditions, reported NDTV.

Other flight accidents in Nepal

Nepal’s most recent major commercial flight accident occurred in January 2023, when a Yeti Airlines flight crashed while landing in Pokhara, killing all 72 people on board. This was the deadliest accident in Nepal since 1992 when a Pakistan International Airlines plane crashed near Kathmandu airport, resulting in 167 fatalities. Earlier that same year, a Thai Airways aircraft crashed near the same airport, killing 113 people.