There's a Buddha in the cockpit. The orange-robed icon looks on as the pilot speedily executes a dramatic last-minute turn to land the A319 on the slender runway. A dozen passengers, some of whom have spent the last few minutes white-knuckling the seat armrests, break out into applause.
That's just another normal working day at Bhutan's Paro International Airport (PBH), widely considered one of the most technically difficult plane landings in the world. Maneuvering onto a short runway between two 18,000-foot peaks requires both technical knowledge and nerves of steel.
The airport and its challenging conditions have only added to the mystique surrounding travel to Bhutan, a Himalayan kingdom of about 800,000 people.
The unique conditions of flying in and out of Paro mean that jumbo jets are a no-go. But for aviation fans, that's part of the appeal of visiting the Land of the Thunder Dragon.
First things first: Paro is "difficult, but not dangerous," says Captain Chimi Dorji, who has been working at Bhutan's national state-owned airline, Druk Air (aka Royal Bhutan Airlines), for 25 years.
"It is challenging on the skill of the pilot, but it's not dangerous, because if it were dangerous, I wouldn't be flying."
A combination of geographic factors make Paro – and much of Bhutan – visually stunning. They also make flying in and out of Paro a highly specialized skill.
Paro is a category C airport, which means that pilots must have special training to fly there. They must perform the landing themselves manually, without radar. As Dorji says, it's critical for pilots to know the landscape around the airport – mess it up by even a fraction of an inch, and you could land on top of someone's house.
"In Paro, you really need to have the local skills and local knowledge area competence. We call it area competence training or area training or route training from flying from anywhere into Paro," he tells CNN Travel.
Bhutan, which is located between China and India, is more than 97% mountains. Its capital, Thimpu, is 7,710 feet (2,350 metres) above sea level. Paro is slightly lower, clocking in at 7,382 feet.
"At higher elevations, the air is thinner, so the aircraft essentially has to fly through the air faster," explains Dorji, who in addition to flying planes now trains Druk Air's pilots and cabin crew. "Your true airspeed will be the same, but your airspeed as opposed to the ground is much faster."
The next variable to consider is weather.
Anyone who has flown into Paro – from New Delhi, Bangkok, Kathmandu, or, as of October 2024, Hanoi – most likely had to wake up very early for their flight. That's because airport officials prefer all planes to land before noon for optimal safety due to strong wind conditions.
"We try to avoid operations beyond noon because then you get a lot of thermal (winds), the temperatures rising, the rains haven't come in yet," says Dorji. "So land is parched and you get all these up drops and get all these anabatic/katabatic winds in the valley in the afternoon. Mornings are much calmer."
That is less of an issue with takeoffs, though, so travelers can count on a better night's sleep their last evening in Bhutan thanks to an afternoon departure time.
However, there are no nighttime flights at Paro, regardless of the season, due to the lack of radar.
Different accommodations have to be made during monsoon season, which is usually between June and August.
It's not uncommon to have thunderstorms that time of year, complete with hail that can reach the size of golf balls.
"The monsoon is across the Bay of Bengal," Dorji says. "You have these northwesterly, northeasterly winds that come in from across in China. And you have these periods where you have rain for days."
Ultimately, he says, part of a pilot's training isn't just knowing how to fly – it's knowing when not to fly, and being able to make the call when it isn't a safe time to take off.
The last factor in Paro's level of difficulty is what Dorji calls "obstacles" – namely, the mountainous terrain that surrounds the airport.
Paro's runway is just 7,431 feet long, and it's flanked by two tall mountains. As a result, pilots can only see the runway from the air when they're just about to land on it.
Things are changing in Bhutan, and the aviation industry is one of them.
Gelephu, in southern Bhutan near the Indian border, has been chosen as the site for a new purpose-built "mindfulness city."
While it's already home to a small airport, Gelephu's new status brings a significant expansion. The most notable difference between Gelephu and Paro is terrain – Gelephu is much flatter and there is enough room to build longer runways that are easier for non-specialized pilots and can accommodate jumbo jets.
Within a few years, it's possible there will be direct flights to Bhutan from North America, Europe and the Middle East.
The industry is still relatively young here. Druk Air was founded in 1981 – compare that with 1919 for KLM, 1920 for Qantas and 1928 for Delta Air Lines.
And while Bhutan only has a few dozen licensed pilots, there is a stated national interest in hiring and training more young pilots locally, not just recruiting from overseas.
Aspiring pilots must show their ability to fly in all of Bhutan's varied seasons. As the national flag carrier, Druk Air has taken much of the responsibility for pilot training on itself.
"I consider myself … the bridge between the old generation and the new one," says Dorji, who is 43. He believes there are 50 licensed pilots in Bhutan, but that number could easily double in the next few years.
Either way, he says, "I'm looking forward to it."
Hurricane Milton strengthens into a Category 5 storm off Mexico and threatens Florida, forecasters say.
Days after a political sign was erected outside Chip Wilson's Vancouver mansion, the waterfront property has been vandalized with graffiti.
Hurricane Milton quickly intensified to a Category 5 storm on Monday, reaching the most dangerous rank on what's known as the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale.
Two people are in hospital after they were chased and shot at in what appears to be an act of road rage before eventually flipping their car while trying to escape, police say.
A Canadian soldier who was exposed to toxic chemicals from burn pits while serving in Afghanistan has been awarded full medical compensation for testicular cancer after Veterans Affairs initially denied his claim.
Sammy Basso, who was the longest living survivor of the rare genetic disease progeria, has died at the age of 28, the Italian Progeria Association said on Sunday.
The day after a minivan was set ablaze outside Vancouver City Hall, a 78-year-old man has been criminally charged.
Cissy Houston, the mother of the late Whitney Houston and a two-time Grammy winner who performed alongside superstar musicians like Elvis Presley, and Aretha Franklin, has died. She was 91.
Scurvy is not just an archaic diagnosis of 18th-century seafarers and doctors should watch for possible cases, according to researchers following a recent case.
Days after a political sign was erected outside Chip Wilson's Vancouver mansion, the waterfront property has been vandalized with graffiti.
Two people are in hospital after they were chased and shot at in what appears to be an act of road rage before eventually flipping their car while trying to escape, police say.
The day after a minivan was set ablaze outside Vancouver City Hall, a 78-year-old man has been criminally charged.
A Canadian soldier who was exposed to toxic chemicals from burn pits while serving in Afghanistan has been awarded full medical compensation for testicular cancer after Veterans Affairs initially denied his claim.
Lawyers representing the Ontario man accused of selling hundreds of suicide kits with deadly effect around the globe have filed to intervene in a case in Canada’s highest court, arguing there is no way he can be charged with murder under Canadian law.
A totem pole that has stood on the grounds of the Manitoba legislature for more than 50 years has come down.
The mayor of a state capital in southern Mexico has been killed just one week after he took office, officials said Sunday.
Israel is now at war with Hamas in Gaza and its ally Hezbollah in Lebanon. It has also vowed to strike Iran in response to a ballistic missile attack on Israel last week. Here is the latest.
Having a plan and an emergency kit before Hurricane Milton strikes is paramount and, for many Floridians, heeding warnings to evacuate could be a life-saving decision, emergency officials say.
Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump said on Monday there are 'a lot of bad genes' in the United States, while discussing murders allegedly committed by immigrants living illegally in the United States.
The Bay Area's fog-shrouded coast seems tailor-made for hiding ghosts from the past. But now, a research team has pulled back the curtain on a mystery that's endured for nearly 80 years: the location of a U.S. Navy destroyer known as the 'Ghost Ship of the Pacific.'
Israelis held sombre ceremonies on Monday to mark a year since the deadliest attack in the country's history, a Hamas-led raid that shattered its sense of security and ignited wars on two fronts with no end in sight.
The Oct. 7 attack by Hamas fighters on Israel last year, and the immediate Israeli retaliation that followed, sent shockwaves throughout the world that have shaken Canada culturally and politically.
Federal political parties appear to be locked in a game of chicken over a debate that has stalled almost all business in the House of Commons.
A federal inquiry says the Liberal government has consented to the public disclosure of summaries of cabinet documents about foreign interference.
Georgia's highest court reinstated a ban on nearly all abortions after about six weeks of pregnancy on Monday while it considers the U.S. state's appeal of last week's ruling by a lower court judge blocking the law.
Sammy Basso, who was the longest living survivor of the rare genetic disease progeria, has died at the age of 28, the Italian Progeria Association said on Sunday.
If your household has recently been hit by a power outage, here are ways to keep your food safe.
A spacecraft blasted off Monday to investigate the scene of a cosmic crash.
The best minds in science will be thrust from academic obscurity into the spotlight this week when the Nobel Prizes in physics, chemistry, and physiology or medicine are announced. However, there is no shortage of Nobel-worthy discoveries: Here are five breakthroughs that haven't resulted in a life-changing call from Stockholm — at least not yet.
Scientists announced on Thursday a milestone in neurobiological research with the mapping of the entire brain of an adult fruit fly, a feat that may provide insight into brains across the animal kingdom, including people.
Cissy Houston, the mother of the late Whitney Houston and a two-time Grammy winner who performed alongside superstar musicians like Elvis Presley, and Aretha Franklin, has died. She was 91.
Ticketmaster is enforcing new rules around how fans transfer Taylor Swift tickets amid a surge in reported scams.
It's been nearly 30 years since 'The Puppy Episode' of Ellen DeGeneres' hit sitcom 'Ellen' aired, where her fictional counterpart came out as gay.
Canada's telecommunications regulator says the country's largest cellphone carriers must take steps to make their international roaming rates more affordable.
The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday rejected an appeal from Martin Shkreli, who was once dubbed 'Pharma Bro' after jacking up the price of a lifesaving drug.
The Federal Court of Appeal has dismissed a challenge to the construction of a massive rail-and-truck hub in the Greater Toronto Area, allowing the project to proceed.
Gerontologist Jay Olshansky is used to backlash about his views on human longevity. Decades ago he and his coauthors predicted children, on average, would live to only age 85 — only 1 per cent to 5 per cent might survive until their 100th birthday.
'Eat more vegetables,' doctors and dietitians say over and over. But for many people, it’s hard to do, because they aren’t excited about veggies or just don’t like them.
Travelling on a budget can be stressful, but there are ways you can ensure you're getting the best deal on flights as the holiday season approaches.
The NCAA Division I Council is this week expected to consider a landmark change in eligibility rules that would allow Canadian Hockey League players to compete at U.S. colleges, the American Hockey Coaches Association executive director said Monday.
Shams Charania has been hired as ESPN's senior NBA insider, replacing his mentor Adrian Wojnarowski.
Christine Sinclair has been announced as the newest owner of Vancouver's women's professional soccer team.
New data from the Insurance Bureau of Canada (IBC) shows that even though claims for auto theft dropped in the first half of 2024 compared to their 2023 peak, the rates of reported theft remain well above those of years prior.
Tesla is recalling more than 27,000 Cybertrucks because the rearview camera image may not activate immediately after shifting into reverse, the fifth recall for the vehicle since it went on sale late last year.
A Pickering, Ont., student going to college to be a mechanic is shocked the engine in his two-year-old car will not be repaired under warranty after the dealership claimed he had been 'over-revving' the engine.
A unique form of clouds made an appearance over the skies of Ottawa on Sunday evening.
Bernie Hicks, known as the ‘Batman of Amherst,’ always wanted to sit in a Batmobile until a kind stranger made it happen.
Bubi’s Awesome Eats, located on University Ave West took to social media to announce the closure on Friday.
Weeneebayko Area Health Authority and the Government of Ontario have awarded a $1.8 billion fixed-price contract to design, build and finance a new Far North hospital.
Manitobans are in cleanup mode after intense winds barreled through southern parts of the province this weekend.
Avry Wortman, 13, scored two touchdowns on Sunday during her team's win in the under 14 Greater Moncton Football Association.
A gargantuan gourd – affectionately named ‘Orangina’ by the urban gardeners who grew it in the front yard of their Vancouver home – earned the massive honour of being named B.C.’s heaviest giant pumpkin Saturday.
Chantal Kreviazuk is set to return to Winnipeg to mark a major milestone in her illustrious musical career.
From the beaches of Cannes to the bustling streets of New York City, a new film by a trio of Manitoba directors has toured the international film festival circuit to much pomp and circumstance.
The Squamish Nation has implemented a ban prohibiting the sale, use and possession of fireworks on reserve land.
The day after a minivan was set ablaze outside Vancouver City Hall, a 78-year-old man has been criminally charged.
The First Nations Health Authority in British Columbia says online hackers gained access to an array of personal information including medical test results and insurance claims during a cybersecurity breach last May.
Toronto’s Jewish community is coming together to mourn and is calling for allyship as it marks one year since the Oct. 7 terrorist attacks on Israel that triggered a war that is still raging on.
Two people are in hospital after they were chased and shot at in what appears to be an act of road rage before eventually flipping their car while trying to escape, police say.
Lawyers representing the Ontario man accused of selling hundreds of suicide kits with deadly effect around the globe have filed to intervene in a case in Canada’s highest court, arguing there is no way he can be charged with murder under Canadian law.
Less than 48 hours after his Monterey Park townhome was gutted by a fiery explosion, Calgarian Owen DeFoe returned on Monday to see what was left.
A 17-year-old boy was killed in a motorcycle crash in southeast Calgary over the weekend.
A Lethbridge police officer involved in a scandal involving former Lethbridge New Democrat MLA Shannon Phillips has been reprimanded.
The Renfrew County Joint Transportation Consortium (RCJTC) and school bus operators have reached a contract agreement in principle.
An event was held in Ottawa to honour the victims on the anniversary of the worst attack against Jewish people since the Holocaust.
The Ottawa Police Service is investigating after a body was found along a road in Barrhaven. Emergency crews responded to a report of a deceased person at approximately 10:15 a.m. Monday in the 3100 block of Greenbank Road, at Strandherd Drive.
Montreal students and supporters showed their grief and anger at protests and vigils as they marked the anniversary of the current war between Israel and Gaza.
Celine Dion introduced the marquee Dallas Cowboys - Pittsburgh Steelers Sunday Night Football game before getting drenched by orange Gatorade.
McGill University has agreed to drop a legal challenge of its law faculty's right to unionize, bringing an official end to a strike during which law professors walked off the job for more than five weeks this fall.
Provincial ministers testified before the House of Commons on Monday, asking the federal government to pay for the cost of the Jasper wildfire.
A Grande Prairie man has been charged with kidnapping after an assault on Sunday.
Albertans can start booking their annual flu and COVID shots as of Monday, with appointments beginning next week.
CTV Atlantic meteorologist Kalin Mitchell has details on rain and downpours expected Monday through early Wednesday in the Maritimes, plus an update on Hurricane Milton.
A Canadian soldier who was exposed to toxic chemicals from burn pits while serving in Afghanistan has been awarded full medical compensation for testicular cancer after Veterans Affairs initially denied his claim.
The Nova Scotia RCMP has charged a 28-year-old woman with stunting for driving 109 km/h in a 30 km/h school zone last week.
Shared Health said Manitobans could expect longer wait times in emergency departments if a strike among health-care support workers goes ahead Tuesday.
Winnipeg police have arrested two people and are searching for a third in the death of a woman who was last seen in October 2023.
A 16-year-old male has died following a shooting over the weekend.
Regina resident Murray Yagelniski says a city-owned tree on his property is the root of the issue behind his basement flooding.
The Saskatchewan NDP says the province's troubled payment and scheduling system for healthcare is only half implemented and has costed taxpayers nearly triple its original price tag so far.
The John Howard Society of Saskatchewan will appear in front of the Supreme Court of Canada on Tuesday challenging a regulation that it says lets correctional workers discipline inmates without sufficient proof.
In September, CTV News Kitchener reported on Sandvine's deals with autocratic governments, including Egypt, where its tech reportedly helped inject spyware into the devices of government critics.
The penalty hearing for Guelph Police constable Corey McArthur has heard from two character witnesses, both supporting an eventual return to policing for the officer who has admitted to assaulting a teen who was handcuffed to a hospital bed.
Waterloo Regional Police say two groups of people met in the area of Eagle Street North and Laurel Street, and a dispute occurred.
Saskatoon’s Prairie Harm Reduction (PHR) says a staff member arrived to work on Thursday morning to find someone at its doorstep, unresponsive from a suspected drug overdose.
The John Howard Society of Saskatchewan will appear in front of the Supreme Court of Canada on Tuesday challenging a regulation that it says lets correctional workers discipline inmates without sufficient proof.
The Saskatchewan NDP says the province's troubled payment and scheduling system for healthcare is only half implemented and has costed taxpayers nearly triple its original price tag so far.
Ontario Provincial Police are investigating a fatal crash of a side-by-side off-road vehicle east of Parry Sound that killed one and injured another Friday.
A teacher working on a First Nation in northwestern Ontario has been charged with sexually assaulting a minor.
The North Bay Battalion hockey team is mourning the loss of a former player who died at 23 after a battle with cancer.
London police are investigating a break and enter and shooting incident that happened this past weekend and are looking for the two suspects involved.
Emotions have boiled over after a judge acquitted two out of three defendants in a manslaughter case, while the third accused has since died
The London Knights have just become instant favourites for another Ontario Hockey League (OHL) championship.
One person was taken to the hospital with what police describe as minor injuries after a loose wheel caused a collision on Highway 400 in Bradford on Monday.
The cause of a fire that caused significant damage to a home in Oro-Medonte over the weekend is under investigation.
Officers arrested a man accused of pointing a firearm at two people in Barrie over the weekend.
The Ambassador Bridge border crossing is ‘temporarily closed’, according to the Canada Border Services Agency website.
On the first day of National Fire Prevention Week, Windsor Fire and Rescue Services is issuing an urgent call to action to ensure every home has working smoke alarms.
Students in Sports and Recreation Management at Lambton College have been given the opportunity to work alongside the Detroit Tigers and Detroit Red Winds through their Fundraising and Sport Sponsorship course.
Major crime investigators have been called to the scene of a suspected homicide in the northern Vancouver Island community of Port Hardy.
The First Nations Health Authority in British Columbia says online hackers gained access to an array of personal information including medical test results and insurance claims during a cybersecurity breach last May.
A Canadian soldier who was exposed to toxic chemicals from burn pits while serving in Afghanistan has been awarded full medical compensation for testicular cancer after Veterans Affairs initially denied his claim.
Nearly two years after a man was stabbed to death in downtown Kelowna, RCMP have made an arrest in the case.
NDP Leader David Eby is promising to offer a $75-million loan forgiveness program to entice doctors, nurses and heath professionals to expand health-care services in rural British Columbia.
Three young suspects have been arrested in connection with a swarming attack on a teenager in B.C.'s Okanagan last week – and authorities have asked the public to stop circulating disturbing videos of the incident.
A Lethbridge police officer involved in a scandal involving former Lethbridge New Democrat MLA Shannon Phillips has been reprimanded.
Lethbridge police say a man who escaped from a psychiatric ward at the Chinook Regional Hospital has been found.
While the summer may be over, construction season in Lethbridge is not.
Greater Sudbury in partnership with the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development, is hosting the organization's annual mining conference.
As part of an ongoing investigation, provincial police are seeking the public’s assistance in locating a Kubota tractor stolen in North Shore Township, Ont., last month.
A 33-year-old man was arrested Saturday for allegedly spraying bear mace at three individuals in northwestern Ontario.
As millions in federal funding flow into a Labrador group whose claims of Inuit identity have been rejected by Indigenous organizations across Canada, a national Inuit leader worries the Liberal government is putting the rights of Indigenous Peoples at risk.
He may not have logged the fastest time or even gone the full distance, but residents of a Newfoundland town agree the goat who unexpectedly joined the local weekend half marathon was the event's undisputed champion.
A mother in a community where the cost of living is one of the highest in the country says grocery prices are 'inhumane' and retailers are putting profits ahead of people’s basic human right to food.
The Shopping Trends team is independent of the journalists at CTV News. We may earn a commission when you use our links to shop. Read about us.
