10 most dangerous airports in the world

Most people, when they hear the word “airport”, imagine a large building, surrounding facilities, and runways (runways) as huge spaces, similar to fields with or without coverage. Even active users of air traffic do not always know that an airfield is not always a flat and dry piece of land. There are runways in the world that are feared not only by passengers, but also by experienced pilots.

A strip of sand or ice, an air port located in the middle of the sea or on top of a mountain… Impressive? Thrill-seekers will definitely appreciate our selection of the most dangerous airports in the world. Even if you are not, do not rush to leave the site, it will be interesting.

10 Bamda Airport (Tibet, China)

The airport has been operating since October 1994. It is located in the urban district of Chamdo. Bamda became the champion in two criteria. Firstly, it is the highest mountain airport. The highest point of the runway is 4334 meters above sea level. In such an environment, both people and equipment feel great discomfort. The fact is that at an altitude of 4 km, the oxygen saturation of the air decreases, this affects the operation of the engines. The pilots are in great difficulty. It is very difficult to lift the plane into the air in such conditions. The best solution for safety is to increase the length of the runway. Hence the second record – 5 m, this is the maximum length of the landing area among all civil airports in the country.

To avoid unpleasant situations in the air, airport personnel are selected very carefully. Preference is given to experienced professionals only.

9. Narsarsuaq Airfield (Greenland)

An airport with a rich history. It was built back in 1941, when it had a different status – an American military base. At the moment, it means a lot to the country, as it is the only international one in the south of Greenland. Narsarsuaq accepts large airliners. The runway allows, because its length is 1850 m. However, some experts call it insufficient for aircraft of this level.

The airport plays the role of a transfer point. From here, passengers fly to their destinations, transferring to small planes.

There are a large number of fjords near the take-off site. Climatic conditions also cannot be called favorable – increased turbulence.

More than once, a conversation was raised about the unprofitability of Narsarsuaq. Recently, he has been experiencing serious financial difficulties. A place has already been chosen for the construction of a new airport, but it is still too early to talk about the closure of the “most dangerous” one.

8. Courchevel Airport (France)

The airport serves one of the most famous French ski resorts. However, this is understandable, because they have the same name. Courchevel is located among the mountains, 2000 m above sea level. This is not the main danger of the airfield. Much worse than the runway, which only experienced pilots can handle. It is known for its length – only 525 m and the angle of inclination (18.5 °). The runway is not equipped with a course-glide path system (according to instruments), so landing becomes impossible during fog.

7. Paro airport (Bhutan)

Bhutan is a mountainous country that can only be reached by plane. True, for this you will have to land at one of the most dangerous airports in the world – Paro. It is located in the mountains (2237 m above sea level). The terrain is too difficult – the Himalayan mountains surround the airport on all sides, their height reaches 5 m. Landing is carried out in extreme conditions – increased turbulence.

To get to the territory of the airfield, the plane is forced to maneuver between mountain ranges. Certain problems arise during the takeoff of airliners. Pilots must have steel endurance. Not surprisingly, at the moment there are only 8 of them. Each pilot received a certificate for the right to fly an aircraft in mountainous areas.

6. Gibraltar International Airport

The Gibraltar Peninsula is famous for its tiny size (6,5 km²). It turned out that organizing the transport infrastructure in such conditions is not such a big problem. The runway goes into the sea for several hundred meters (embankment), it also intersects with the highway. During takeoff and landing of air transport, cars and people stop moving. All this action is regulated by traffic lights. If for the inhabitants of the peninsula, this phenomenon has long become commonplace, then the guests of Gibraltar are wildly delighted with the beautiful views of taking off airliners. They can be enjoyed even from the window of a hotel room.

The airport was previously used only for military purposes, since 2003 civil aviation has also received permission. If you ever have to fly to Gibraltar, don’t worry. Despite the difficult conditions, not a single tragic incident occurred during these 17 years.

5. Cristiano Ronaldo International Airport (Portugal, Madeira)

The airport was built back in 1964, during which time it has changed many names. In 2016, he was named after a famous Portuguese footballer. Now the runway has a length of 2777 m, but this was not always the case. Previously, it was much shorter, which is why a terrible tragedy occurred in 1977. During the landing, the pilot miscalculated a little and the plane crashed into a mountain. 131 victims. A month later, another plane landed on the water, killing 36 people.

Now the runway has been lengthened, due to the reinforced concrete structure, so the danger of landing has been significantly reduced.

4. Matekane Airstrip (Lesotho)

Matecan can hardly be called an airport, it’s just a runway. Its length is 400 m, and then … an abyss of 600 m. The designers of this miracle assumed that this length would be enough for the plane to go into free fall and take off at the most crucial moment. In 2009, Matekan was closed, and transportation of local and international levels was banned. Still, the strip is still periodically used for private aviation flights.

3. Princess Juliana Airport (Sint Maarten)

The peculiarity of the airport is an uncomfortable position. The end of the runway literally comes into contact with Maho Beach, which is very popular with the townspeople. When landing, the distance between it and the beach reaches 10 meters. Vacationers are not afraid of such hulks, on the contrary, there are always a lot of people who want to take a look at the airliners. Another disadvantage of the airport is the rock on the course during takeoff. Pilots have to use all their skills to avoid a collision.

2. Tenzing and Hillary Airport (Nepal)

The small airport is located in the east of Nepal, near Everest. The length of the runway is 527 m, it is located under a slope. The altitude is 2860 m. The terrain is very difficult, the runway ends have a difference of 60 m. Therefore, takeoff and landing are always carried out from different sides of the site. Thick clouds and strong gusts of wind only exacerbate the situation. Pilots do not have the opportunity to use special instruments, so they are guided by the rules of visual flights (observation of the horizon line). Before becoming a crew member, each pilot undergoes training. It must also meet stringent requirements.

1. Juancho-Irauskin Airport (Saba Island, Netherlands)

The airport is located in the middle of the sea on the island of Saba. The runway beats all records, its length is only 400 m. It is surrounded by rocks and the sea from all sides. Weather conditions add extreme, strong winds often blow here, which regularly change direction. Only one company, Windward Islands Airways, is allowed to use the airport. All crew members undergo special training. To avoid accidental casualties, there are strict bans on private flights.