PBH - Paro 🇧🇹

[Sunny]

Airport Name and ICAO/IATA Code
Paro International Airport (ICAO: VQPR / IATA: PBH)

Location (City, Country)
Paro, Bhutan

Airport Type & Size
Paro International Airport is the sole international airport of the Kingdom of Bhutan.It is a unique and critically important gateway, situated in a deep valley at an elevation of 2,235 meters (7,333 ft) above sea level. The airport features a single runway (15/33) that is 2,265 meters long, which, combined with the challenging mountainous terrain, restricts operations to daylight hours and Visual Meteorological Conditions (VMC). It handles all of Bhutan’s international tourist and diplomatic air traffic.

Why should this airport be added to World of Airports?
PBH offers one of the most challenging and unique piloting experiences in the world.It is renowned as one of the most difficult airports to take off and land from. Managing PBH is not about high traffic volume, but about supreme precision, skill, and adherence to strict procedures. Its addition to WoA would provide an elite-level challenge for experienced players, focusing on manual flying skills, intricate valley approaches, and operating a wide-body aircraft (Airbus A319) in an extremely constrained environment. It represents a completely different gameplay style compared to high-capacity hubs.

Major Airlines & Routes
· Drukair - Royal Bhutan Airlines (The national carrier and primary operator) – Key international routes to Delhi, Kolkata, Bagdogra, Bangkok, Kathmandu, and Singapore.

· Bhutan Airlines – Routes to Delhi, Bangkok, and Kathmandu.

· Cargo: Limited cargo operations are handled by Drukair, primarily transporting essential goods.

Unique Features or Challenges
· Extreme Topography: The airport is surrounded by 5,000-meter high Himalayan peaks. All approaches require a visually guided, sharp manual turn to align with the runway.
· Daylight VFR-Only Operations: Due to the complex terrain, no instrument landing system (ILS) is used for the final approach. All landings and takeoffs must occur in good weather during daylight hours.
· Limited Aircraft Types: The difficult approach and short runway limit the types of aircraft that can operate here, primarily the Airbus A319, ATR 42, and Airbus A320neo.
· Single Runway Operation: The entire nation’s air connectivity depends on this single, short runway.
· Pilot Certification: Only a small, specially trained group of pilots are certified to land at and take off from Paro.
· Tourism Model: The airport is the exclusive aerial gateway for all international tourists, who must travel on pre-arranged tours, making its operation vital to the Bhutanese economy.
Runway Detail
15/33→2,265m/7,431ft

Optional: Links, images, maps, or videos
Paro International Airport - Wikipedia

Disclaimer: this is unofficial and made for fun.

Made by - @jamjamjam

Example of approximate connections theoretically possible between airports

· PBH → BKK - 1038nm - B/C/D

· PBH → CNN - 1212nm - B/C/D (Coming soon)

· PBH → HKG - 1368nm - B/C/D (Coming soon)

· PBH → MCT - 1701nm - B/C/D

· PBH → NGO - 2458nm - C/D

· PBH → BRI - 3601nm - C/D

· PBH → PRG - 3613nm - C/D

· PBH → LEJ - 3678nm - C/D

· PBH → INN - 3757nm - C/D

· NBO → LHR - 4141nm - C/D

· PBH → SYD - 5079nm - D

[DHC8]

I can def see this being a generic airport

[Sunny]

Hopefully!

While Paro’s operation might seem standard on the surface, its challenging approach is what makes it special for enthusiasts.

This actually touches on a point I’m passionate about. As a player, I genuinely enjoy airports like SXM (St. Maarten) and INN (Innsbruck)—they’re incredibly fun precisely because of their unique scenery and specific operational challenges.

I really hope the WoA team considers developing more of these small-to-medium sized airports with distinctive landscapes and layouts, rather than focusing only on giant hubs. Adding this variety would greatly enrich the game world and cater to different playstyles. Paro would be a perfect candidate for this philosophy!

[DHC8]

FINALLY!!! Someone who gets the point of INN and SXM!