The first runway (09/27), long, was opened in 1951. It is a tabletop runway, with landing approaches presented with the extreme edges of a hillside. The edges of the hill drop into a valley from a height of about to ) within a short distance of just on the east of the runway and from about to on the western side. The runway was not level, with the height varying from to from east to west. Landing on this short runway was considered difficult.