From short runways to questionable urban planning, here is a list of airports with the most terrifying and dangerous runways where the travel adventure begins upon landing.
1. Princess Juliana International Airport, Sint Maarten
Princess Juliana International Airport is a risky endeavour not only for passengers aboard the plane but for beachgoers on holiday at Mano Beach. The runway is located on the Dutch side of the island and the only thing stopping a plane from diving into the ocean is a narrow beach and a rickety fence.
2. Madeira Airport, Portugal
This is considered the 3rd most dangerous runway in Europe. While pilots must undergo specified training to land at Madera Airport, even the most skilled pilots find its short runway surrounded by mountains and ocean to be a challenge.
Additions were made in recent years to expand the runway over the ocean. While they were successful in making the runway longer, the addition created new challenges with high winds, often causing a bumpy landing.
3. Tenzing-Hillary Airport, Nepal
With a short runway and a steep incline coupled with rapidly changing weather patterns, it’s no wonder Tenzing-Hillary Airport has been ranked the History Channel’s Most Extreme Airport for the past 20 years.
4. Gisborne Airport, New Zealand
Along with the usual dangers associated with air travel, passengers flying into New Zealand’s Gisborne Airport have the unusual risk of colliding with a passing train. Gisborne is one of the few airports in the world where a railway line intersects with its main runway.
5. Barra Airport, Scotland
Barra Airport is located on a remote island in the Scottish Highlands. Since the runway sits directly on the beach, pilots can only land when the tide is out. During high tide, all three runways are completely submerged underwater.
6. Tioman Airport, Malaysia
Pilots navigating a landing at Tioman Airport face a list of obstacles challenging even the most experienced aviation experts. The landing involves clearing several mountain ridges and making a sharp turn before attempting a landing on a runway running alongside the beach.
7. Courchevel Altiport, France
The runway at Courchevel Altiport lacks proper lighting, making landing in fog or low-level cloud cover nearly impossible. To add to the struggle, pilots need to navigate the mountainous terrain without the ability to circle a landing meaning there’s only one shot at getting the landing right.
