TOP 10 MOST DANGEROUS AIRPORT LANDINGS IN THE WORLD
Paro Airport in Bhutan (Himalayan Mountians)
1.5 miles above sea level and surrounded by sharp peaks of up to 18,000ft tall. The Himalayan airport so dangerous only eight pilots are qualified to land here. Passengers flying to this remote region may have to take something to steady their nerves. The tiny airport nestled among the steep mountains of the Himalayas is said to be the most dangerous in the world. Paro Airport in Bhutan is 1.5 miles above sea level and surrounded by sharp peaks of up to 18,000ft tall. Until July 2011, just one airline, Druk Air, was allowed to use the facility. The runway is just 6,500 feet long – one of the few in the world shorter than their elevation above sea level. Planes have to weave through the dozens of houses that are scattered across the mountainside coming within feet of clipping the roofs.
Ice Runway in Antarctica (Slippery landing)
Brrr. The coldest spot on the planet. The fact that there are no paved runways in Antarctica is enough to make you bite your fingers. Everything under the plane is a long stretch of manicured snow and ice. The one crucial challenge is the weight of the aircraft that must land on this runway. The weight of each plane must be checked to avoid it cracking the ice landing strip or the plane getting stuck in the snow.
Wellington International Airport in New Zealand (Extreme landings)
To those who call it home, flying into Wellington airport is a joy, but it is not for the faint at heart. Sometimes the danger approaches just when it is almost time to disembark. The runway is too short, a mere 6,351 feet. What further adds to the fear associated with landing at this airport is the strong winds that sweep across the airport and the fact that the runway sort of appears to end in crystal blue waters.
LaGuardia Airport in New York City, USA Stunning city views when landing
USA - Owing to the 7,000 foot runway that was extended in the 1960’s over water, pilots must avoid interfering with flights in and out of nearby JFK and Newark also in New York City. Another disturbing fact: A peek at the airport’s location shows that it is located just eight miles from the city of Midtown Manhattan.
Courchevel International Airport in France (Nail-biting landings)
The Courchevel airport is known to have the 2nd shortest runway in the world at just 525 meters long, added to that the runway has a gradient of 18.5%; aspects that affect take-offs and landings daily. Here, pilots are required to navigate the popular Alps Mountain before landing. If that is not enough to give you goosebumps, planes must touch down at inclined angles just to slow down.
The Saba International Airport has the world’s shortest commercial airport runway
Wow. This landing strip looks incredible. You have to be a shap-shooting pilot, to land your jet here. I about 400 meters (about a quarter of a mile).
Kai Tak Airport landing in Hong Kong (Scary)
At one time, travelers were quite upbeat about Kai Tak airport in Hong Kong. However, this was before it was christened “the mother of all scary airports.” The airport that brought us the most dangerous airport landings on earth closed in 1998, it used to be the base of Cathay Pacific as well as many regional carriers. Aircraft pilots were careful to infuse dollops of caution when making a landing or taking off. If a plane missed the runway, chances that it would stop at Victoria Harbour could not be ruled out. Travelers had to be afraid, very afraid.
Tenzing-Hillary Airport, Lukla, Nepal
From bad to worse: Tenzing-Hillary Airport in Lukla, Nepal, is named for the first two mountain climbers to reach the summit of Mount Everest. That should ring a few warning bells. The airport operates at an altitude of 8,000 feet (2,438 m) and has virtually no modern air traffic control features – not even lights, and very little electric power at all.
Toncontin Airport, Tegucigalpa, Honduras
Toncontin has a number of strikes against it. It’s situated in a valley 3,294 feet (1,004 m) above sea level, surrounded by mountains. Forget to buy travel insurance? Too late for that. But not too late to pray. The shortness of the runway makes landings by any jets larger than a Boeing 757 impossible.
San Diego International Airport
is located 3 miles northwest of downtown San Diego, California. The airport is the nation’s busiest single-runway commercial airport with 600 daily flights. The airport has three terminals. San Diego Airport is also the last place many visitors see when they leave. There has been so much recent expansion in that area of the city that the airport has become a great practice zone for skilled pilots that maneuver in and out of high rise buildings, just a mile from the runway.
