When deciding to travel, and choosing a destination that needs to be reached by plane, the last thing that is thought about is the shape of the airport, the way it is built, or even the shape of the runways where disembarkation takes place.
This is because there is a widespread belief that all airports are equipped with the latest technology and are built in safe places that help the pilot land easily, without talking about other external factors.
However, in reality, the matter is completely different, because several countries around the world have the most dangerous airports, and landing in them can be described as real moments of terror, whether it concerns the passengers, or the captain of the plane himself, who usually has special training, to be able to land safely. Despite the expected difficulties.
In this report, we reveal to you the most dangerous airports in the world, some of which are located on the edge of a mountain, and others have the smallest runway on which a plane can take off or land in the whole world.
1- Lukla Airport, Tenzing Hillary in Nepal
Lukla Airport in Nepal, located in the Himalayas, is classified as one of the most dangerous airports and the most famous on the list. It is also known as Tenzing Hillary Airport.
Until 2010, Lukla Airport was classified for a full 20 years as the most dangerous airport in the world, the most unnerving, worrying and panic-inducing airport upon landing.
The reason behind this is that this airport is built at an altitude of approximately 3 kilometers, in the middle of the mountains close to Everest, and has dim lights on the runway that are difficult to spot when landing.
The dangers of this airport do not stop here, because the rapidly changing weather conditions in the Himalayas, the uneven runway surface and the vertical drop are all other factors that increase the danger.
2- Princess Juliana International Airport in Saint Martin
This airport is also classified among the most dangerous, due to its limited space, as it was first built specifically for small-sized aircraft only, before the island of St. Martin in the Caribbean turned into a famous tourist attraction, which can only be reached by large-sized aircraft.
What makes Princess Juliana Airport dangerous is that it is built near the seashore, as every landing, the plane is forced to approach the seawater, at the beach, which makes it pass frighteningly close to vacationers.
An increase to the entire area of the airport does not exceed 2 kilometers, which makes the plane pilot take advantage of every meter of the runway, at every take-off or landing, which makes not focusing accurately a very dangerous matter.
3- Cristiano Ronaldo Airport in Portugal
In the Portuguese city of Madeira, there is an airport named after the famous football player Cristiano Ronaldo, which is classified among the most dangerous, due to its geographical location, expected near the Atlantic Ocean.
The wind near this airport consistently blows with great force against the current, posing a significant challenge during the landing process. Passengers often experience a sense of panic and fear as they approach the runway.
Because of the small distance of the runway, it was extended into the sea, in an attempt to reduce the risk of the plane crashing, but the problem was greatly exacerbated by the increase in wind speed at the ocean.
4- Toncontin Airport in Honduras
Situated at the summit of a mountain in the capital city, Tegucigalpa, this airport has gained notoriety as one of the most treacherous airports with a history of plane crashes.
The runway of this airport is inclined at an angle of 45 degrees. Which makes it necessary for planes to descend quickly at a high altitude while being careful not to collide with the terrain surrounding the airport.
With every plane landing, the people of Honduras are on their nerves and constantly repeating prayers, for fear of any new disaster occurring and another plane crashing in the same location.
This airport has been classified for several years as the second most dangerous airport in the world, after Lukla Airport in Nepal, especially since it is still operating with old equipment, which dates back to 1948.
5- Gibraltar International Airport
Gibraltar Airport serves as one of the primary airports, welcoming around half a million passengers each year. However, it is renowned for being one of the most peculiar and challenging airports worldwide, known for its unique and potentially hazardous features.
The reason for this is that this airport only takes 5 minutes to reach from the city center, and the runway is the same as the main road, directly overlooking the sea.
At every take-off and landing, the main street is completely closed until the plane flies into the sky, or settles in place after arriving safely.
One of the frightening phenomena at this airport is the fact that the plane descends among the people, meaning that at every landing it is incredibly close to the heads of the citizens in the middle of the city.
6- Courchevel Airport in France
This airport, situated in the French Alps and near a ski resort, is featured on this list due to its possession of the world’s shortest runway, measuring a mere 537 meters in length.
Situated atop a mountain, this airport boasts a runway with a challenging gradient of 18.6%. Compounding the difficulty is the absence of specialized landing procedures, owing to the rugged terrain enveloping the area.
The airport predominantly operates small fixed-wing aircraft, along with helicopters. However, it lacks proper monitoring procedures and adequate lighting aids. As a result, landing in fog or dense clouds becomes a challenging process, and in some cases, nearly impossible.
