Thoise

Thoise or Thoise Airbase is a military airfield[3] (ICAO: VI57)[4] and small village in Nubra Valley, Ladakh, India, occupying the only large piece of flat land in the area. The airstrip is a critical facility enabling a quick inflow of men and material from the Indian interior to Siachen, a glacier, helipad and battleground near the Actual Ground Position Line between India and Pakistan.

Thoise
Village
Minister of Defence Nirmala Sitharaman at Thoise in 2017
Thoise
Location in Ladakh, India
Thoise
Thoise (India)
Coordinates: 34.65°N 77.38°E / 34.65; 77.38
Country India
Union TerritoryLadakh
DistrictLeh
TehsilNubra
Elevation3,070 m (10,070 ft)
Languages
 • SpokenHindi, Ladakhi, Urdu
Time zoneUTC+5:30 (IST)
PIN
194401[2]

THOISE is not a real name but an acronym: Transit Halt Of Indian Soldiers Enroute (to Siachen).[5] Thoise is about an hour and 20 minutes' flight from Delhi. Air India has limited flight operations from "Thoise" to Delhi (Flight AI 3832). Jet Airways operated flights to THOISE until decision was made to curtail operations due financial non viability towards the end of January 2019. With less than 12 qualified commercial pilots world over, this is an extremely tricky airfield to operate into. Special background clearance and multiple stringent skill tests must be passed by the pilots in order to be able to operate to THOISE.

The place is approximately 16 km away from the village of Hundar and 25 km from Diskit. It is about 160 km from Leh, the capital of Ladakh. Thoise is reached via the Khardung La mountain pass, one of the world's highest roads used by motor vehicles.

Thoise is out of bounds for civilians. The last checkpost is at Hundar, at a bridge where photography is not permitted. Indian Oil Corporation Limited is building an oil depot to serve the Indian Army. The construction project is in progress and is monitored from Chandigarh.

References
  1. "Flying the Bofors into Thoise". Bharat Rakshak. Retrieved 5 January 2014.
  2. https://pincode.net.in/JAMMU_AND_KASHMIR/LEH/D/DISKIT
  3. "World Aeroport Data". Retrieved 12 February 2008.
  5. "BBC Hindi Service News". (in Hindi)
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