Now might be time for the brace position! The Himalayan airport so dangerous only eight pilots are qualified to land there

Passengers flying to this remote region may have to take something to steady their nerves.

The tiny airport nestled among the steep mountains of the Himalayas is said to be the most dangerous in the world.

Paro Airport in Bhutan is 1.5 miles above sea level and surrounded by sharp peaks of up to 18,000ft tall.

Scroll down for a video of the landing

Tight squeeze: A plane is perilously close to houses as it comes in to land at Para airport in the Himalayas

So treacherous is the landing that only eight pilots in the world are qualified to land there. Until July 2011, just one airline, Druk Air, was allowed to use the facility.



The runway is just 6,500 feet long - one of the few in the world shorter than their elevation above sea level.

Planes have to weave through the dozens of houses that are scattered across the mountainside - coming within feet of clipping the roofs.

Strong winds whip through the valleys, often resulting in severe turbulence. Passengers who have been on flights to the airport have described the landing as 'terrifying'.

The 6,500ft-long runway at Paro airport which is surrounded by steep 18,000ft peaks and mountain foliage

Phew, we've landed safely: Passengers disembark from a plane after it makes a smooth landing at the airport that only eight pilots are qualified to negotiate

BHUTAN: NO TRAFFIC LIGHTS, A KING WITH FOUR WIVES AND A BAN ON MODERN CLOTHING

Ban on TV and internet lifted in 1999

Main religion is Buddhism

Former king Jigme Singye Wangchuck had four wives... all of whom were sisters

His son's Royal wedding was a major media event, just like the UK

Roads are a driver's dream. There are so few cars that traffic lights do not exist

All residents are required by law to wear traditional 14th century clothing

Country has no navy, air force or army aviation corps

Sandwiched between two neighbours - India and China

Rated eighth-happiest in the world in 2006



Boeing has said that Paro airport is 'one of the world's most difficult for takeoffs and landings'.

Flights are only allowed during the daytime and under visual meteorological conditions - strict light allowances in which the pilot must make his judgements by eye rather than rely on instruments as is the case in nighttime flights.

Despite the perilous conditions, the views over the clear blue waters over the Paro river and the lush green foliage of the Himalayas are breathtaking.

An estimated 30,000 tourists use the airport each year, often for holidays in Bhutan. Yongphulla Airport in Trashigang District is the only other airstrip in the country, which is yet undergoing re-construction

Buddha Air is the only international airline to use the airport. Anybody flying to Paro must first land in neighbouring countries then catch a connecting flight.

Videos posted online showing the steep descent onto the runway that planes must take have attracted praise for the pilots.

'That is what I call pilot skills. Incredible landing,' one internet user wrote on YouTube.

Another added: 'That was the easy part...the hard part is getting it back into the air.'