# Altiport

> Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Altiport
> Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Altiport.md
> Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Altiport
> Source revision: 1327357634
> License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/)

Runway for small aircraft on mountainous terrain

Alpe d'Huez Airport with sloped runway

An **altiport** is an [aerodrome](/source/Aerodrome) for small [airplanes](/source/Airplane) and [helicopters](/source/Helicopter), situated on or within mountainous terrain. Altiports are generally characterized by having a runway with an atypical slope to fit in the local topography. Ultimately, this slope helps aircraft decelerating when [landing](/source/Landing) and assists [acceleration](/source/Acceleration) during [takeoff](/source/Takeoff). High altitude results in less [lift](/source/Lift_(force)) available to aircraft wings, which requires aircraft to achieve higher speed at takeoff and landing. Such airfields with unusual physical characteristics are frequent in regions such as the [French Alps](/source/French_Alps),[1] [Himalayan](/source/Himalayas) regions, as well as [Pacific islands](/source/List_of_islands_in_the_Pacific_Ocean).

## Definitions

According to [International Civil Aviation Organization](/source/International_Civil_Aviation_Organization) (ICAO) Document 9150: [STOLport](/source/STOLport) Manual: "An altiport may be defined as a small airport in a mountainous area with a steep gradient runway, used for landing up the slope and for take-off down the slope, thereby making use of only one approach/departure area."[2]

According to the former French Technical Instruction on Civil Aerodromes (ITAC) of 2000, an altiport is specifically designed for serving mountainous regions. It features a steep runway that has a single approach / departure path. The runway ends with a section that has a lower slope, as well as an apron with aircraft stands. An altisurface is defined as a graded area that is not an aerodrome but that can be used as a steep runway with a single approach / departure path.[3]

## List of altiports

Courchevel Altiport, showing the sloped runway

Altiport Country Alpe d'Huez Airport France Courchevel Altiport France Corlier Aerodrome France La Motte-Chalancon Airport [fr] France Megève Altiport France Méribel Altiport France Peyresourde-Balestas Altiport [fr] France Ua Pou Airport French Polynesia (France) Koro Airport Fiji Lukla Airport Nepal

## Notes

- [*Arrêté du 23 novembre 1962 relatif au classement des aérodromes suivant leur usage aéronautique et les conditions de leur utilisation*](https://www.legifrance.gouv.fr/loda/id/JORFTEXT000000436012/) (in French), retrieved 2024-06-23

## References

1. **[^](#cite_ref-1)** *Flying Magazine*, November 1975, page 5

1. **[^](#cite_ref-2)** ICAO (1991). "STOLport Manual", Foreword, Document 9150, 2nd edition, page iii

1. **[^](#cite_ref-3)** DGAC (2000). "Instruction technique sur les aérodromes civils" (ITAC), Chapitre 13 : Aérodromes à caractéristiques spéciales, 13-1 Altiports, page 13-3

This airport-related article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by adding missing information.

- [v](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Template:Airport-stub)
- [t](/source/Template_talk%3AAirport-stub)
- [e](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:EditPage/Template:Airport-stub)

---
Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Altiport](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Altiport) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Altiport?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.