Lobuche
4,940 m
Lukla
2,845 m
22 mins
7:30 AM
$500
per seat
$1,500
aircraft
CAAN licensed
Free weather reschedule
Rescue capable
Pangboche to Lukla helicopter flight
Pangboche
3,985 m
Lukla
2,845 m
- Flight time
- 15 mins
- Seats
- 5
- Baggage
- 12 kg
- From
- $450
Flight overview
Flying Pangboche to Lukla helicopter flight
| Route | Departs | Seats | Flight time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pangboche to Lukla helicopter flight | 8:00 AM | 5 | 15 mins |
Pangboche is the highest permanently inhabited village in the Khumbu, at 3,985 metres, sitting directly under the south-west face of Ama Dablam. The flight from here to Lukla takes fifteen minutes and saves a day and a half on foot.
It is a straightforward descending leg down the Imja Khola to Tengboche, then the Dudh Kosi past Namche and into Lukla, and it is one of the more reliable short flights in the valley.
Where the decisions get made
Between Pangboche and Dingboche the trail crosses four thousand metres and stays there. Trekkers who have been quietly managing a headache since Namche often stop managing it at Pangboche, and this is the flight they take.
Expedition traffic
The village is also the staging point for Ama Dablam. During the autumn season we run regular movements in and out for climbing teams, and this pad is where most of them start.
- From
- Pangboche
- To
- Lukla
- Aircraft
- AS350 B3e / H125
- Passenger insurance
- Included
- Flight rules
- Visual, daylight only
Pilot advisory
A descending leg along the Imja Khola and the Dudh Kosi, reliable in the morning. The Pangboche pad is small and the crew will want to load quickly.
Pricing
What this flight costs, and what it does not include
Both figures are the price we quote on WhatsApp. A shared seat puts you on a scheduled departure with other travellers. A private charter is the whole aircraft on your schedule.
Included
- Confirmed seat or aircraft on the stated departure
- All government taxes on the charter
- Passenger liability insurance
- Pilot and crew
- Free rescheduling if the flight is held for weather
Not included
- Personal travel and medical insurance
- Meals, accommodation and ground transport
- National park permits and TIMS cards
- Excess baggage above the stated allowance
- Anything arising from a delay outside our control
We publish how these prices are set and when they move. Read the price transparency policy.
Operators
CAAN licensed operators
We charter aircraft only from operators that hold a current air operator certificate from the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal. Each one below is reviewed by us before we put passengers on their aircraft.
Air Dynasty Heli Services
Manang Air
Simrik Air
Mountain Helicopters
Altitude Air
Heli Everest
Kailash Helicopter Services
Prabhu Helicopter
Upcoming departures
The next flights on this route
All departures are subject to visual flight rules and weather. Seat counts are confirmed with operators each morning.
Landing site
Where you land at Lukla
- Helipad
- Tenzing-Hillary Airport helipad
- Area
- Khumbu, Everest region
- Altitude
- 2,845 m
- Coordinates
- 27.68690, 86.72970
The airstrip is 527 metres long, slopes uphill at around twelve degrees, and ends in a rock face. Helicopters use the pad adjacent to the apron rather than the runway itself. Stay behind the marked line until the rotor has stopped and approach only from the front, where the crew can see you.
Safety
What you need to know before you board
The pad sits on terraced ground above the lower village and is tight. Nothing loose on the ground: in rotor wash, a hat or a map becomes a hazard to the aircraft as well as to you.
Twelve kilos per passenger on a shared seat.
Pangboche is at 3,985 metres and is the point at which altitude problems commonly declare themselves. If that is why you are flying, tell us.
Questions
What travellers ask about this route
A day and a half, through Tengboche, Namche and down the gorge to Lukla.
Pangboche is higher and further up the trail, so it is where people who have turned back tend to be. Tengboche is cheaper if you are already there.
It is a short walk up from the lower village on terraced ground. Straightforward for most people.
Yes, in the autumn season when the expedition pad is established. See the separate route.
Yes, Lukla to Pangboche as a charter. It is mostly used for expedition logistics rather than trekkers.
Hold a seat
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