Leh Kushok Bakula Rimpochee Airport
Leh Kushok Bakula Rimpochee Airport
Kushok Bakula Rimpochee Airport (IATA: IXL, ICAO: VILH) is a domestic airport as well as a military airfield of the Indian Air Force serving Leh, the capital of Ladakh, India. Situated at 3,256 m (10,682 ft) above mean sea level, it is the highest commercial airport in India and one of the highest in the world. The airport is named after 19th Kushok Bakula Rinpoche, a Buddhist monk whose Spituk Monastery is in vicinity to the airfield. Due to its location in between the Himalayas, the approach to the airport is one of the most challenging and scenic. Beside the existing terminal, a new, larger terminal is being constructed to meet the rapidly rising traffic and demands. Its foundation stone was laid by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in February 2019, and construction began in the same month. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the project delayed because of labour shortage and restrictions. It is slated to be completed by October 2025. Upon completion of the new terminal, the airport will be the first hybrid airport in the nation powered by geothermal and solar energy together.
Location
34.136°N, 77.547°E · 3.256 m s. n. m. (10.682 ft)
General data
Runways · 1
Lengths and surfaces from the public OurAirports register; open runways only.
History
The airport was established in 1961 as a military air-strip for landing of military transport aircraft of the Indian Air Force and other nations, such as the Lockheed C-130 Hercules and the Antonov AN-12, for supporting the troops of the Indian Army in the forward areas of Ladakh. Civilian flights began later, after the 1962 Indo-China War. A separate terminal building was constructed for handling civilian passengers in 1985. In 2016, the airport was to be handed over to Airports Authority of India, which will expand it for civilian use; however, the airport remains a premier and strategic airfield of the Indian Air Force. The Ministry of Defence clarified that a portion of land will be earmarked for a construction of a new terminal and the airport will continue to serve military flights. Situated at 3,256 m (10,682 ft) above mean sea level, it is the highest commercial airport in India and one of the highest in the world.
Airlines operating here · 3
Other airlines with direct routes
Airlines with current passenger routes from here, according to Wikipedia route tables cross-checked from both ends (October 2026).
Photo: caffeineAM · CC BY 2.0 · view original
Data from OurAirports (public domain) · destinations and airlines from Wikipedia route tables (CC BY-SA, 2026), unless another source is given · profile and photo from Wikidata/Wikimedia Commons (CC0 / CC) · summary and history from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA).
Cite
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This page was last updated on October 15, 2026
APA
Vuelopedia. (2026, October 15). Leh Kushok Bakula Rimpochee Airport (IXL). Retrieved October 23, 2026, from https://vuelopedia.org/en/airport/IXL
MLA
“Leh Kushok Bakula Rimpochee Airport (IXL).” Vuelopedia, Fundación Poderia, 15 Oct. 2026, vuelopedia.org/en/airport/IXL. Accessed 23 Oct. 2026.
Chicago
Vuelopedia. “Leh Kushok Bakula Rimpochee Airport (IXL).” Fundación Poderia. Last modified October 15, 2026. https://vuelopedia.org/en/airport/IXL.
Harvard
Vuelopedia (2026) Leh Kushok Bakula Rimpochee Airport (IXL). Available at: https://vuelopedia.org/en/airport/IXL (Accessed: 23 October 2026).
BibTeX
@misc{vuelopedia_en_airport_ixl,
author = {{Vuelopedia}},
title = {{Leh Kushok Bakula Rimpochee Airport (IXL)}},
publisher = {Fundación Poderia},
year = {2026},
date = {2026-10-15},
url = {https://vuelopedia.org/en/airport/IXL},
howpublished = {\url{https://vuelopedia.org/en/airport/IXL}},
urldate = {2026-10-23},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-23}
}Wikipedia
{{cite web |url=https://vuelopedia.org/en/airport/IXL |title=Leh Kushok Bakula Rimpochee Airport (IXL) |website=Vuelopedia |publisher=Fundación Poderia |date=2026-10-15 |access-date=2026-10-23 |language=en}}