Airport type Military | 02/20 6,004 x 106 ft | |
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Elevation AMSL 9,604 ft ft / 2,927 m m Address Airport - Choskore Road, Khurba Thang, Kargil, Jammu and Kashmir 194103 Similar J & K Bank, Hotel Siachen, Zojila Residency, Hotel Greenland Kargil, The Highland Mountain | ||
Kargil Airport is a military airfield in Kargil district 6 km away from Kargil and 210 km from Srinagar. It is one of the 4 airports in the State of Jammu and Kashmir. It was built by the Airports Authority of India (AAI) at a cost of 350 million Rupees, initially for civilian use but was transferred to the Indian Air Force (IAF) in 2003 after it was damaged in the Kargil War in 1999. The civil enclave at the airfield is managed by the State Government.
The IAF plans to convert the airport into a full-fledged air force base by 2016. The Air Force uses its An-32 aircraft for an air courier service that transports civilians from Kargil to Srinagar and Jammu during the harsh winter season.
The airport is a much debated issue for local politicians as well as the public who pursue the point that the airport should be thrown open to commercial civilian services. Air Mantra became the first ever commercial company to land a civilian aircraft at the airport when it landed a 17-seater aircraft with dignitaries including Chief Minister of the state Omar Abdullah on board in January, 2012.