# Gelephu Airport (GLU)

> Gelephu, BT · IATA: GLU · ICAO: VQGP · Medium Airport

## Quick Facts

| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| IATA | `GLU` |
| ICAO | `VQGP` |
| City | Gelephu |
| Country | BT |
| Type | Medium Airport |
| Elevation | 299 m |
| Cargo | ❌ |
| GPS | 26.88456, 90.46412 |

## Description

Gelephu is best understood as a cargo gateway in waiting rather than one in operation: despite the international status granted in September 2023, its 1,500-metre runway in southern Bhutan (IATA: GLU, ICAO: VQGP) still sees only Drukair domestic services to Paro and has no freight terminal. The replacement airport being built for Gelephu Mindfulness City changes that outlook: ground was broken in July 2025, runway and terminal construction started in April 2026, and the Bjarke Ingels Group design developed with aviation consultancy NACO is sized for 1.3 million passengers a year, with commissioning planned for December 2029. Until then Bhutanese air freight moves through Paro (PBH) or by truck across the nearby Indian border to Guwahati (GAU) and Bagdogra (IXB). That proximity to Assam is the site's logistical asset, placing it on the landlocked kingdom's principal overland trade route. Forwarders should treat Gelephu as a domestic field today, with international cargo relevance still several years away.

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*Freight Academy — Airport Profile: [https://www.freight-academy.com/en/information/airports/gelephu-airport-glu](https://www.freight-academy.com/en/information/airports/gelephu-airport-glu)*

*Markdown mirror: [https://www.freight-academy.com/api/md/airports/en/gelephu-airport-glu](https://www.freight-academy.com/api/md/airports/en/gelephu-airport-glu)*

*LLM-Summary (JSON): https://www.freight-academy.com/api/v1/airports/gelephu-airport-glu/llm-summary*