OAG Travel News

Living – as I do – near some of the highest peaks in the United States provides constant visual stimulation.  Reaching some of the famous peaks in the Rocky Mountains is not too difficult from an air service perspective – most are within a relatively easy drive of a commercial service airport.

This topic started me thinking about the world’s highest peaks, and their air service.  I’ve chosen the highest peaks on each continent (not including Antarctica, but with the addition of Oceania to Australia given that the definition of continent differs) and attempted to find the closest commercial service airport to these mountains.  In most cases, there are closer airports, but they do not offer scheduled commercial service.

What I found was interesting – two mountain-themed airport names, one major international airport and several airports that only have domestic service.

Asia
Mount Everest (29,035 feet/8,850 meters) – Nepal
Closest airport: Lukla, Nepal (LUK)

The airport in Lukla was renamed the Tenzing-Hillary Airport in 2008, honoring Sherpa Tenzing Norgay and Sir Edmund Hillary, the first people to reach the summit of Moutn Everest.  Of all the airports examined here, Lukla enjoys the least amount of air service.  One daily flight links Lukla with Nepal’s capital of Kathmandu.  The service is provided by Royal Nepal Airlines on a 30-seat Dash-8 aircraft.

South America
Aconcagua (22,834 feet/6,960 meters) – Argentina
Closest airport: Mendoza, Argentina (MDZ)

Two airlines provide service to Governor Francisco Gabrielli International Airport in Mendoza – Lan and Aerolineas Argentinas.  Lan provides flights from Mendoza to two capital cities – Buenos Aires, Argentina, and Santiago, Chile.  Areolineas also provides service from Mendoza to the two capitals, and one flight – just one during the month of April – to San Juan, Argentina.

Africa
Mount Kilimanjaro (19,340 feet/5,895 meters)
Closest airport: Arusha, Tanzania (ARK)

Appropriately, Arusha is home to Kilimanjaro International Airport.  The service levels are double that of Lukla, Nepal.  Two Tanzania-based airlines – Precisionair and ZanAir –  each provide once-daily service from Arusha to Zanzibar.

North America
Mount McKinley (20,320 feet/6,194 meters) – Alaska
Closest airport: Fairbanks, Alaska (FAI)

Seven airlines provide nonstop service to 25 destinations from Fairbanks International Airport.  All of the destinations are in the State of Alaska with the exception of Seattle. 

Oceania
Puncak Jaya (16,535 feet/5,040 meters) – Indonesia
Closest airport: Jayapura, Indonesia (DJJ)

Three airlines provide service at Sentani Airport in Jayapura.  These airlines offer nearly 15 daily flights to five destinations, all in Indonesia.

Europe
Mount Blanc (15,771 feet/4,807 meters)
Closest airport: Geneva, Switzerland (GVA)

The summit of Mt. Blanc lies on the border between France and Italy, but the closest commercial service airport is located in yet a third country – Switzerland.  Geneva International Airport ranks as the largest airport of those examined here with over 350 daily flights.  Fifty airlines provide service to Geneva.  Low-cost juggernaut easyJet is the largest carrier accounting for nearly 20 percent of flight operations.  SWISS is the second-largest carrier with over 13 percent of flights operations.  Nearly 100 destinations are served nonstop from Geneva.

Australia
Mount Kosciusko (7,310 feet/2,228 meters)
Closest airport: Canberra, Australia (CBR)

Canberra Airport’s nearly 130 flights rank it as the second-busiest airport serving one of the world’s highest mountains.  Four airlines – Qantas, Virgin Blue, Brindabella and Tiger Airways Australia – provide nonstop service to 10 destinations, all in Australia.

Source: Official Airline Guide (OAG) Schedule Tapes; data for April 2009 only unless otherwise noted; Air Transport Intelligence; Peakware World Mountain Encyclopedia.

Note: Mountain climbing sources provide other airports that are closer to Puncak Jaya, but none have scheduled air service included in OAG.

Source: Orginal article by Laura Jackson