Around the world, there are many airports. Most of them look very similar, but there are also those that differ significantly from others, due to their location or difficult weather conditions. These airports are often located in mountainous terrain and are considered to be some of the most challenging airports in the world. They are a real challenge for pilots and a test of their skills.
In this video, we will show you the most unusual airports in the world.
TABLE OF CONTENTS:
00:00 - 01:00 Introduction
01:01 - 02:41 Lukla, Nepal
02:42 - 03:56 Courchevel, France
03:57 - 04:52 St. Maarten, Caribbean
04:53 - 06:20 Gibraltar International, Gibraltar
06:21 - 07:17 Barra, Scotland
07:18 - 08:14 Saba, Caribbean
08:15 - 09:36 Madeira, Portugal
09:37 - 10:34 Paro, Bhutan
10:35 - 11:47 Airports in Antarctica
1. Lukla Airport, Nepal
In the heart of the mountainous kingdom of Nepal, in the Khumbu region, there is one of the most dangerous airports in the world - Lukla Airport, located at an altitude of 2,846 meters above sea level (9,383 feet). Lukla Airport is unique due to its incredibly short runway, measuring just 527 meters (1,729 feet), with a slope of almost 12%. At the beginning of the runway there is a solid rock and at the end there is a several-hundred-meter-deep abyss. Additional difficulty is posed by changing weather conditions. Lukla Airport is chosen by people who plan to climb Mount Everest.
2. Courchevel Airport, France
Courchevel Airport is located in the heart of the French Alps, near the popular Courchevel ski resort. It is the highest airport in Europe. The airport has a runway whose opposite ends are at different heights. Additionally, the runway does not have a uniform degree of slope, but is "wavy" and "broken" in two places.
Courchevel Airport also has one of the shortest runways in the world, 537 meters long.
3. Princess Juliana International Airport on St. Maarten, Caribbean
Princess Juliana International Airport on the island of Saint Martin is located in the eastern part of the Caribbean and is one of the most recognizable and unusual airports in the world. This airport is located near Maho Beach, over which low-flying airplanes pass during landing. This beach attracts many tourists who observe and photograph airplanes landing right above their heads.
4. Gibraltar Airport
Gibraltar Airport is one of a kind due to its unique location. Until 2023, the runway crossed the only road leading to Gibraltar. During takeoffs and landings, the road was closed. At the end of the 20th century, the government of Gibraltar approved a project to build a tunnel and a four-lane bypass road. In 2023, it was opened and traffic across the runway was closed. Strong gusts of crosswinds around the rock and across the Bay of Gibraltar pose a major challenge for pilots and make it difficult to land and take off an airplane.
5. Barra Airport, Scotland
Barra Airport is one of the most unusual airports in the world. It is located on the island of Barra, which is part of the Outer Hebrides of Scotland. It is the only airport in the world located on a beach that serves regular passenger airplanes. The possibility of landing depends on the water level, which changes with the tides.
6. Saba Airport, Caribbean
Saba Airport is located on the island of Saba, which is one of the islands of the Lesser Antilles in the Caribbean Sea. It has the shortest commercial runway in the world, just 400 meters long, which is limited on one side by high hills.
7. Cristiano Ronaldo International Airport on Madeira, Portugal
The Cristiano Ronaldo International Airport on Madeira was built in the town of Santa Cruz in 1964. This airport has a unique design, as the runway is extended over the Atlantic Ocean. It is supported by 180 columns up to 70 meters high each. Madeira Airport is known for its difficult approach to landing due to the mountainous terrain and strong crosswinds.
8. Paro Airport, Bhutan
Paro Airport in Bhutan is one of the most unusual and at the same time one of the most dangerous airports in the world. It is located at an altitude of 2,235 meters above sea level (7,330 feet) in a narrow valley of the Paro River, which is surrounded by the peaks of the Himalayas. The approach to the runway is steep, and sudden changes in weather conditions and the terrain make landing at this airport very demanding.
9. Airports in Antarctica
There are more than 50 landing strips in Antarctica that play a key role in providing access to this remote continent. The harsh weather conditions, such as strong winds, low temperatures, and snowfall, make it difficult to land and take off aircraft. The only airport in Antarctica is Phoenix Airfield, which opened in 2017 and is located near the McMurdo research station.