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Leh Kushok Bakula Rimpochee Airport (IXL)
Departures from Leh Kushok Bakula Rimpochee Airport (IXL) at a glance
- 15flights a day37th busiest of 98 airports
- 4routes from here
- 3airlines
- 06:45 – 14:35first and last
Collected between 29 September 2026 and 30 September 2026. Not live — check with the airline before booking.
Leh Kushok Bakula Rimpochee Airport (IXL), also known as KBR Airport, serves Leh in the Union Territory of Ladakh. It is a joint-user airfield for defence and civil operations at Air Force Station Leh, and the Airports Authority of India (AAI) runs the civil terminal. The airport is about 5 km from Leh city, at an elevation of 10,839 feet (about 3,300 metres).
Two rules matter before you book anything beyond Leh: the 48-hour acclimatisation rule and, for foreign nationals other than citizens of Bhutan, the Protected Area Permit.
Flying into Air Force Station Leh: photography and security
Airlines must make sure that crew and passengers take no photographs of Indian Air Force assets, from the air or on the ground, while at Air Force Station Leh.
Security at the airport is by the Ladakh Police and the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF).
The new passenger terminal at Leh Kushok Bakula Rimpochee Airport
A new passenger terminal has been built at the airport, and Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated it virtually on 15 October 2026, news agencies reported.
Acclimatising in Leh before trips to higher areas
The Leh district administration says all tourists arriving in Leh have to acclimatise for at least 48 hours before setting off for higher areas such as Khardung La and Pangong Lake. During that time they may visit nearby areas of Leh town. A trip to Pangong Lake or over Khardung La on the day you land, or the day after, does not fit that rule, so leave the first two days of an itinerary for Leh itself.
Ladakh Tourism's health advice adds no strenuous activity on the first two days, a light meal on the first day, plenty of water, and no alcohol or smoking in the first 48 hours. The district's permit portal advises seeing a doctor at once for symptoms such as headache, nausea, breathlessness or disturbed sleep. There is a hospital in Leh city.
The Union Territory's Directorate of Tourism, in an advisory dated 16 June 2022, describes the Pangong Lake area as a notified wildlife sanctuary with limited accommodation, and asks visitors not to plan a stay there without booking first.
Inner line and protected area permits in Ladakh
The Leh District Tourist Management System is the Leh district's online permit portal. Its FAQ says the inner line permit applies only to foreign tourists.
Foreign nationals other than citizens of Bhutan need a Protected Area Permit for protected areas of Ladakh such as Pangong, Nubra, Khardung La and Tso Moriri. The portal has registration forms for overseas and domestic visitors and takes online payment of the tourist fees (an environmental fee, a Red Cross fund contribution and a wildlife fee).
Check the current rules on the Leh District Tourist Management System before you plan a trip beyond Leh.
Getting from the airport into Leh
A pre-paid taxi is available at the airport during flight operations only, and a state transport bus can be caught from outside the airport. Leh city is about 5 km away.
The Directorate of Tourism's advisory of 16 June 2022 asks visitors to book accommodation, and taxis, in advance through registered travel agents or tour operators.
Facilities at the airport and in Leh
First aid is available at the airport. Hotels, restaurants, banks, the post office and the tourist office are in Leh city.
Identity and security checks at Leh Kushok Bakula Rimpochee Airport
Identity documents
The CISF publishes the list of photo identity documents accepted at entry to the terminal. Each is carried in original with a valid ticket, and a passport, Aadhaar or m-Aadhaar, a voter photo identity card and a driving licence are among them.
On the CISF list, an infant or minor travelling with a parent or guardian who holds valid identity proof needs no separate document, but an unaccompanied minor does. Airlines may ask for more, and a foreign national should ask the airline which document it accepts for a domestic flight.
Liquids, banned items and power banks
Under the CISF's restricted-articles list, liquids, aerosols and gels in cabin baggage go in containers of up to 100 ml each, packed in one clear, resealable one-litre plastic bag. Medicine or an inhaler accompanied by a prescription, and baby food, are exceptions. The same list keeps lighters, tools, sporting goods such as bats, and knives other than round-bladed, butter and plastic ones out of cabin baggage.
A Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) circular dated 11 November 2025 says power banks and spare batteries are to be carried in hand baggage only and not placed in overhead bins, and that using or charging power banks is not allowed during flight. Ask your airline about any limit on their size or number.
Direct domestic flights recorded from Leh
The airlines recorded on these flights are IndiGo, Air India and SpiceJet. Direct domestic flights recorded from Leh go to:
| Destination | Airport | Airlines recorded |
|---|---|---|
| Chandigarh | Shaheed Bhagat Singh International Airport (IXC) | Air India |
| Jammu | Jammu Airport (IXJ) | Air India |
| New Delhi | Indira Gandhi International Airport (DEL) | IndiGo, Air India, SpiceJet |
Delays, cancellations and your rights
The DGCA sets out what airlines provide when a flight is delayed or cancelled, or a passenger is denied boarding, in its Civil Aviation Requirement (CAR) Section 3, Series M, Part IV, Revision 4, dated 25 January 2023 and effective from 15 February 2023. If you checked in on time, the airline provides meals and refreshments once a delay is expected to reach a length set by the flight's block time: two hours or more for a block time of up to 2.5 hours, three hours or more for more than 2.5 and up to five hours, and four hours or more for a longer block time. If the delay is more than 24 hours, or more than six hours for a flight scheduled between 2000 and 0300 hours, the airline also provides hotel accommodation, with transfers when necessary. Neither duty applies where the delay is caused by extraordinary circumstances that could not have been avoided even if all reasonable measures had been taken.
If a domestic flight is expected to be delayed by more than six hours from its published departure time, or from a revised time communicated more than 24 hours before the original departure, the airline offers either an alternate flight within six hours or a full refund.
When a flight is cancelled, the airline offers an alternate flight or a refund, and a passenger who was not told in time is offered either an alternate flight, or compensation under the DGCA's rules on top of a full refund. Compensation is not due to a passenger who gave the airline no email address or phone number at booking, or where the cancellation was caused by extraordinary circumstances.
You can complain to the airline directly, file a grievance on the Air Sewa app or portal, or go to a statutory body or court. Check your airline's current rules, and the DGCA for any later revision of the CAR, before you rely on this.
Questions about Leh Kushok Bakula Rimpochee Airport
How far is Leh Kushok Bakula Rimpochee Airport from Leh city?
About 5 km. A pre-paid taxi is available at the airport during flight operations only, and a state transport bus can be caught from outside the airport.
How long should I stay in Leh before going to Khardung La or Pangong Lake?
At least 48 hours. The Leh district administration says all tourists arriving in Leh have to acclimatise for that long before going on to higher areas such as Khardung La and Pangong Lake, and may visit nearby areas of Leh town in the meantime. Read the Leh district's acclimatisation notice before you set your plans.
Does the inner line permit for Leh apply to Indian tourists?
No, according to the Leh district's permit portal: its FAQ says the inner line permit applies only to foreign tourists. Foreign nationals other than citizens of Bhutan need a Protected Area Permit for protected areas of Ladakh such as Pangong, Nubra, Khardung La and Tso Moriri.
What does the photography rule at Leh Kushok Bakula Rimpochee Airport say?
Photographs of Indian Air Force assets are not allowed: airlines must make sure crew and passengers take none, from the air or on the ground, while at Air Force Station Leh.