The highest airport. An engineering miracle: the most beautiful airport in the world was built in the Himalayas Paro Airport in the Kingdom of Bhutan
Landing on water, heading straight up a mountain, a 45-degree landing hook, a 5.5 km runway in Tibet, and a place where no more than ten people in the world can land, in our selection of airports, where you would that they did not agree to land if they had seen them in advance.
Courchevel (France)
Looking at the photo of the runway of this mountainous place, I want to immediately give the Courchevel airport the title of the most terrible in the world. When you find out that the runway is 525 meters long, there are depressions on it and there is no course-glide path system to help pilots with landing, the desire intensifies. But in fact, not everything is so scary: large planes do not land in Courchevel, but for small ones such a strip is more than enough. Although it looks really scary.
Narsarsuaq (Greenland)
Narsarsuaq - chief international Airport Greenland, and all 160 residents of the settlement of the same name are somehow connected with receiving and sending aircraft. To expect a comfortable and aesthetic airport from an island with a harsh climate and a sparse population is absurd. With the length of the strip, everything is in order here, but the danger lies in the fjords surrounding the airport, flying next to which it is easy to get into strong turbulence. In addition, there is water in front of the runway, and a mountain right behind it. In winter, everything seems even more dangerous.
Agatti (Lakshadweep, India)
Among the 36 coral islands of Lakshadweep (another name is Laccadives), only 11 are inhabited, and the airport was built on one at all - on the island of Agatti. And even then, the length on it is clearly not enough, and it is better for inexperienced pilots to land somewhere else. Take-off landing strip limited to a distance of 1219 meters, and then - the ocean. Local authorities are considering projects to increase the length, but so far it is really very dangerous to land here.
Paro (Bhutan)
There are only a dozen pilots in the world who have the required skill level to land at Paro Airport, with a runway length of less than 2 km. Mountains up to five thousand meters high are heaped around the city, on the slopes of which tall trees grow, and before landing, the plane carefully maneuvers between these giants. No wonder the vast majority of tourists go to Paro for the locals. Buddhist temples- after such an extreme flight, you need to find a good place for meditation and calming the nerves.
Madeira (Portugal)
Popular among tourists, the Portuguese island off the coast of Africa meets tourists with a very dangerous landing. The runway in Madeira was extended to almost 3 km, but the main problem was not in it, or rather not only in it, but also in the maneuver that pilots perform when landing. For some time the plane goes straight up the mountain, and then sharply goes to the right in the direction of the runway. In order to avoid panic, it is recommended not to look through the windows during landing.
Toncontin Airport (Tegucigalpa, Honduras)
Firstly, the airport is located in a valley among the mountains. Secondly, it stands in the middle of the city. Thirdly, the arrival and departure of aircraft goes through one side. Fourth, the strip length is less than 2 km. Fifth, before landing, pilots need to make a sharp detour at an angle of 45 degrees. All of the above clearly does not improve flight safety, but large aircraft like the Boeing 757 continue to fly regularly to Tegucigalpa.
When the territory of the state is only 6.5 km 2, one must be prepared for non-standard solutions to standard problems. In the case of the airport, which is located in the middle of the city, I had to arrange the most ordinary move. A barrier and a traffic light are also used here, but it all looks more impressive than in the classic railway version. The highway in the middle of the runway adds work to the controllers and allows you to come up with a bunch of amazing scenarios with the appearance of a car under the wheels of an airplane.
Bamda (China)
The highest airport in the world is located in Tibet at an altitude of 4334 meters above sea level. The main problem here is not even high mountains, but rarefied air, which causes discomfort to pilots and passengers and affects engine performance. Due to the latter factor, the runway had to be extended to 5.5 km. In order for the landing to go smoothly, pilots need to be as concentrated as possible and carefully monitor the readings of the sensors.
Barra (Scotland)
Airport Isle of Barra Outer Hebrides- one of the most unusual in the world. Its uniqueness lies in the fact that planes land in a bay directly on the water, on which three runways in the shape of a triangle are marked with wooden poles. At the same time, the water level is constantly changing due to the tides.
Lukla (Nepal)
The main problem of the airport in Lukla is the complex surrounding landscape. On one side of the runway, a gaping abyss, on the other, a mountain rises, and all this at an altitude of almost 2860 meters above sea level. The airport in Lukla is one of the closest to Everest, therefore it is a popular starting point for climbers who decide to conquer the most high mountain planets. It seems that for those who decide on such a journey, a dangerous landing in Lukla will be the least of the problems.
India's 100th airport opens Himalayas, in the northeastern state of Sikkim. Due to the most difficult terrain and adverse weather conditions, the runway alone took 9 years to build. But the result met all expectations - the airport is already called the most beautiful and picturesque in the world.
Sikkim is a former kingdom in the Himalayas, connected by eight high mountain passes to Bhutan, Nepal and Tibet. Now Sikkim is an Indian state that has never had an airport. But the authorities decided that it was time to correct the situation.
The airport was built on a mountainside in Pakyong County, 30 kilometers from the state capital Gangtok. The construction was so complex that it is already being called an engineering marvel.
By the way, in Sikkim there is Mount Kanchenjunga, which occupies the third place in the ranking of the most high peaks peace. And because of the extremely difficult landscape, there is no rail link in the state.
If we talk about roads, they often suffer from landslides and floods, and there are no roads at all north of the Miang region.
The airport is built on top of a hill 1371 meters above sea level, 60 kilometers from the border with China. From all sides the structure is surrounded by mountain valleys.
As for the runway, its length is only 1.75 kilometers, but it still took 9 years to build.
In addition to the weather and landscape, construction was further complicated by the fact that engineering equipment had to be delivered through narrow mountain roads. Also, Sikkim is characterized by high seismicity, and from April to September there is a rainy season.
The land for the airport was literally cut out of the mountain - special geotechnical engineering installations were used. Specialists also built a supporting wall 80 meters high to protect the airport building - this is one of the highest such structures in the world.
The airport terminal can serve about 100 passengers at the same time, the building is also equipped with parking for 50 cars.
The airport will start operations on October 4, which is expected to increase the number of tourists visiting Sikkim. Moreover, this Indian state can boast of the real beauties of the Himalayas: picturesque mountain peaks, ancient monasteries, alpine lakes and glaciers.
A large number of people are sincerely afraid of air travel, and everyone has their own reasons for this. People who understand air transport and the features of its management are well aware that the most dangerous during flights is takeoff and landing operations. Of course, we must not forget about natural factors that affect calmness during the trip, including rocky terrain, mountains, sandy coasts and other features of the natural landscape that must be taken into account by the crew of airliners. Further, the most dangerous airports in the world will be considered, on which take-off and landing maneuvers require special skill and utmost concentration from the crew.
Juancho E. Yrausquin
First on our list air gate are on one of the most beautiful islands Caribbean – Saba. Perhaps this is the most dangerous airport in the world, topping the list because of its disastrously short runway. Its length is equal to approximately 396 meters. However, if this fact can still be somehow reconciled, then the picture is complemented by high cliffs surrounding the landing zone, and a nearby steep slope leading directly to the ocean.
Landing here requires absolute concentration from the crew - incorrect calculations can cost the lives of all passengers, since there is a high probability that the ship will fall into the abyss. Most pilots try to avoid this airport. Even professionals do not risk flying here. Takeoff and landing maneuvers are often quite difficult even for small aircraft. Weather conditions on the island are also sometimes unpredictable. Of course, this situation leads to a significant decrease in the flow of tourists who want to relax on this island, even despite the beauty and solitude of this paradise.
Juancho E. Yrausquin airport
Qamdo Bamda
The Tibetan air complex Qamdo Bamda became the record holder in height. Its location at 4250 meters exceeds sea level. Taking off and landing at such an altitude is very dangerous, so the airport is equipped with a fairly large runway, the duration of which is 3500 meters. But here it is still allowed to serve both large and small aircraft.
Even at sea level, approach speed is 241 km/h. To ensure a safe landing and a complete stop, an average aircraft may need about 1520 meters, but at the altitude at which the Tibetan airfield is located, this distance is at least doubled.
Qamdo Bamda airport
Gustaf III
The next air hub is located on the Caribbean island of Saint Barthelemy. For pilots, there are quite tough conditions here:
- firstly, the runway here has a very narrow corridor, which threatens the catastrophically close approach of aircraft to the slopes of the elevation of the local landscape during landing;
- secondly, the length of the airport runway is only 640 meters, which is suitable only for small aircraft (up to 20 passengers);
- thirdly, the strip begins at the road junction, and ends right at the local beach, which is why the planes fly right over the heads of vacationers.
Air Gate Gustaf III
ice runway
You can guess the features of the next runway by its name alone. She made it to our list of the 10 most dangerous airports in the world because of her ice cover, and also due to unpredictable weather conditions reigning in this area. This strip, located in Antarctica, is used primarily for the needs of McMurdo Station. In order to somehow facilitate the task facing the crew, the runway is carefully looked after, turning it into a well-groomed landing area of ice and snow. Landing here is complicated by the fact that the pilot needs to calculate whether the ice will break under the weight of the aircraft, and whether the ship will get stuck in the snow. If suddenly the ice here begins to melt a little, the planes are immediately redirected to other Antarctic air hubs.
Ice Runway
Courchevel
Probably everyone has heard of one of the the very best ski resorts Europe - Courchevel. It is located in the town of the same name in the French Alps. But this place has become famous not only for its excellent conditions for first-class sports recreation. Popular resort has its own airport, located right in the middle of the mountains.
The Courchevel airfield became the main location in one of the films of the legendary Bondiana "Tomorrow Never Dies", in which the main character manages to masterfully land the plane on the most dangerous runway.
The aerocomplex was forced to be built on a mountain slope, the slope of which is 18 degrees. But there are other difficulties for pilots:
- hump on the territory of the runway;
- the length of the local landing zone is about 530 meters.
Needless to say, but air travel to Courchevel turns into a very exciting journey. Quite often, flights are canceled here due to bad weather conditions.
Courchevel Airport - famous and dangerous
barra
The unique beach-airport is located in Barra Island (Scotland). This is a unique aerocomplex, the runway of which is beach. It is noteworthy that at high tide it is completely flooded with water, so flights have to be planned taking into account these natural factors.
The only help for pilots during landings during night tides is the light from the headlights of passing cars.
In order for vacationers to know about the arrival of aircraft, special warning signs. Landing here is breathtaking not only for the crew, but also for the locals.
Barra's unique beach-airport
Toncontin
The Honduran airport is notorious around the world due to several accidents. The airfield began to serve aircraft in 1934. In those days, aircraft were not as powerful, and they did not need much space for acceleration and takeoff. The runway area of the complex has a length of 2133 meters and is located in a valley surrounded by mountains on all sides. It is also worth noting that Toncontin has only one way for aircraft to take off and land.
Toncontin airport
Tenzing Hillary
Tenzing Hillary Airfield is located in eastern Nepal. Mostly climbers are served here: someone dreams of conquering Everest, and someone is simply interested in the region. All guests traveling by plane already understand the danger of flying and landing in these places already on the approach. The region often rages strong wind currents and dominate thick cloud cover. It is quite difficult to perform any maneuvers here. In addition, one end of the local runway ends in a sharp drop.
Tenzing-Hillary Airfield
Madeira
The danger of the Portuguese air hub Madeira lies in the relatively small length of its runways. Rocks and ocean literally squeezed between an air complex. The crew of any aircraft during landing is faced with a very difficult task - first direct the car towards the mountains, and then make flip flop before completing the maneuver.
The runway of the air hub is erected on high pillars, and the structure itself resembles a bridge.
The famous Madeira Airport
Gibraltar
The Gibraltar air hub deservedly appeared in our top. It is considered not only one of the most dangerous, but also an extremely busy air complex in the world. The feature of this airfield was the location of its runway - it crosses one of the main streets of the city! Every time an airliner takes off or lands, all urban transport has to be completely shut down.
The highest airport in the world is Daocheng Yading, located in Sichuan province. It is built at an altitude of 4411 meters above sea level. Prior to this, the title of champion belonged to Kuamdo Bamdo, built in Tibet. The latter is lower than the current record holder by 77 meters.
Surprisingly, the highest airport was built in just two years. Its construction cost $255,000,000. Currently, Air China planes fly exclusively to Chengdu, the provincial capital where Daocheng Yading is located. Nevertheless, it can be called a major breakthrough for the local Chinese. It used to take people two days to get to Chengdu. Today, 800 kilometers are overcome in 65 minutes. Chengdu Daochen Yadin flights operate daily, and the cost of the flight is only 1,600 yuan, which ranges from 262 dollars.
The highest airport is located 159 kilometers from the world-famous attraction. Jaazhin Reserve, also called Shangri-La, is the unofficial "last clean place on Earth." The local landscapes are striking in their beauty. It can be assumed that after the construction of the airport, the flow of curious tourists will increase here. This forecast is also obvious because in the near future flights from Chongqing, Guangzhou, Xi'an and Shanghai will be sent here. According to experts, the flow of passengers to the region will be increased to half a million people.
According to most pilots, takeoff and landing are the most dangerous moments in a flight. However, some conditions are more risky than others, yet no amount of mountain peaks, cliff sides, crowded beaches and main roads seem to stop the brave pilots on this list who work in these conditions every day.
In this list, we will describe the most extreme and dangerous airports from around the world. So, fasten your seat belts:
10. Juancho E. Yrausquin Airport
Saba Island
Getting to this amazingly beautiful Caribbean island is not easy, and all because of the runway, which is only 396 meters long - which is quite a bit longer than most runways on aircraft carriers. The impossibly short airstrip is surrounded by high cliffs and dangerously close to a steep slope that leads straight into the ocean.
For these reasons, this airport is considered one of the most dangerous airports in the world. A pilot's misjudgment during takeoff can send the plane straight into the abyss. Large planes avoid this airport for obvious reasons, but even for very small planes like the Cessna, landing is a difficult task, especially in bad weather. Well, at least everyone knows what is to blame for the constant decline in tourism on the island.
9. Chandu Banda Airport (Qamdo Bamda Airport)
Tibet
Chandu Banda Airport is the highest airport in the world, at over 4,330 meters above sea level. In addition to the height of the location of this airport, it also impresses with an almost 5.5-kilometer runway.
A runway sixty football fields long may seem like overkill, but obviously the length of the runway is critical to making safe landings at high altitudes. When an aircraft starts descending into an area at sea level at 241 kilometers per hour, it needs a runway at least 1,524 meters long to come to a complete stop. But when it lands on terrain more than 4,330 meters above sea level, the length of the runway needed to bring it to a complete stop must be twice as long.
Traveling at high altitudes can actually be extremely dangerous and travelers should be aware of the danger before they even fly to such places.
8. Gustaf III Airport
Saint Barthélemy
Small airport Gustav III, on Caribbean island Saint Barthelemy, exposes both pilots and passengers to quite serious dangers. The runway on which the runway was built is incredibly narrow, and planes approach landing frighteningly close to the hillsides of the surrounding area, putting the plane at risk of crashing into the ocean every time they land.
This YouTube video is a great illustration of what you have to go through if something goes wrong on landing. It is good that at least in this case no one received even minor injuries.
7 Ice Runway
Antarctica
The dangers of the Ice Runway are more related to extreme weather conditions that the pilot has to contend with than the layout or location of the airport itself. The ice airstrip is one of the three largest airstrips used to transport scientists and supplies to McMurdo Station in Antarctica. As its name suggests, there are no tarmac roads here - just long stretches of carefully cleared ice and snow.
There is no shortage of space on the Ice Runway, so even a huge aircraft can land relatively easily here. The difficulty lies in landing the plane so that its weight, combined with the weight of its cargo, does not break through the ice and so that the plane does not get stuck in soft snow. As soon as the ice on this runway begins to break, planes are diverted to Pegasus Field and Williams Field, two other runways serving the station.
6. Courchevel Airport
France
City of Courchevel in french alps is one of the most famous ski resorts in Europe, but the city seems to owe much of its fame to its airport, which is located in the mountains. Courchevel Airport is famous not only for its incredibly high and strange place location, but also because he played an important role in the James Bond film Tomorrow Never Dies, in which Mr. Bond successfully landed a plane at a highly dangerous airport.
5. Barra International Airport (Barra International Airport)
Scotland
This is quite possibly the only airport in the world that also serves as a beach. Takeoffs and landings at Barra Airport take place on the same sand that people walk on after hours for the airport. And that's not all: at high tide in the evening, the headlights of all passing cars help the pilot to land the plane. For those who just want to enjoy a romantic stroll along the beach, there are warning signs informing people of all upcoming aircraft landings.
Believe it or not, Barra is still an officially recognized international airport by the Air Traffic Organization, and it seems that any logical or rational proposals are not taken into account by the authorities. We can only hope that they are better informed than we are about all the intricacies of this airport location!
4. Toncontin International Airport
Honduras
In Tegucigalpa, the capital of Honduras, you can land at one of the most dangerous and infamous airports in the world. It has been the subject of several accidents, including a plane crash in 2008 that killed five passengers. This airport was opened back in 1934, when the planes were less powerful and did not need such long runways.
The Tonkotin airstrip is a little over 2133 meters long and is located in a valley surrounded by mountains. And what is even more incredible - this moment the danger of this airport is that it has only one runway and one runway for aircraft, which greatly increases the risk of accidents. Despite all these high-risk factors, such big planes like a Boeing 757.
3. Tenzing-Hillary Airport
Nepal
The airport was originally called Lukla Airport, but was later renamed Tenzing and Hillary Airport to commemorate the first people to reach the summit of Mount Everest. Located in the city of Lukla, Nepal, the airport serves thousands of rock climbers hoping to "conquer" Everest, as well as amateur climbers looking to explore the Everest region.
Among the dangers of this airport, one can list strong winds and heavy clouds - but these are not at all the most terrible factors. As with Gustav III Airport, one end of the runway at Tenzing and Hillary Airport ends in high terrain, only instead of beautiful sandy beach at the other end you will fall down 609 meters.
There have already been several accidents at this airport, and the last one happened on October 12, 2010.
2. Madeira International Airport
Portugal
When Madeira International Airport was first opened in 1964, the length of each of its two main runways did not exceed 1600 meters.
After a horrific accident in 1977, during which a Boeing 727 on its way to land crashed into a stone bridge and ended up on the beach, one of the runways was lengthened by 200 meters. In the early 2000s, the runway was extended even further, and now runs across the beach, supported by columns.
Even with the extended runway, the most casual landing is still not easy even for the most experienced pilots. Against all their instincts, and in order to set the aircraft on the correct landing course, pilots must first steer the aircraft towards the vague outline of a mountaintop, and then swerve quickly to the left to avoid hitting the mountain.
1. Gibraltar Airport
Gibraltar
Gibraltar Airport is not only one of the most dangerous airports in the world, but also one of the busiest (especially when compared to the other dangerous airports included in this list). No matter how incredible it may sound, the route of this airport actually passes through main street cities.
Vehicles forced to stop every time the plane lands or takes off. Even more surprising is that there has never been a single major accident here - and we hope that there will not be any.
