Travelling to Ilam, the tea estate of Nepal may soon be a lot more faster! The under construction Ilam Airport will have its test flight by mid-April. With 90% of the earthwork complete, the airport located at Sukilumba will have a 700m long runway. Currently, Ilam can be reached via road from the Eastern town of Birtamod and the nearest airport is located in Bhadrapur/Chandragadhi. The test flight will be conducted before the gravelling of the runway.
I cannot wait for Ilam Airport to spring into action! Ilam is also the gateway to red pandas in Nepal – read about my experience with Red Panda Network’s EcoTrip Experience.