Flights - Kathmandu to Lukla

There's been another crash on the Kathmandu to Lukla route today. This isn't terribly surprising as this route is one of the most dangerous in the world. If anything the surprise is that it happened in Kathmandu instead of at the other end. The landing strip at Lukla is at an angle (12%) and approximately the size of a postage stamp (1500 feet long) with mountain face at one end and cliff at the other. Because of this you can only use small twin engine aircraft to get there.

To give an idea of what we are talking about, here's a pic of me in the cigar tube that I flew in last year.

And gazing forward

At Lukla - The Tenzing Hillary Airport

And the postage stamp airstrip

The point is that the danger is well known. All you can do is try to book with a reputable airline, pop a Xanax, and hope for the best. Or take the bus to Jiri and walk from there if you're willing to add a week to either end of your trek.