The article describes the most dangerous, unusual, impressive and amazing airports in the world, which should be visited by interested and inquisitive tourists. Many of them cause just a flurry of positive emotions, and some are terrifying, but all of them, definitely, leave an indelible impression.
St. Maarten Princess Juliana International Airport
The airport is located on the island of St. Martin, where you can often meet influential businessmen and show business stars. Princess Juliana was an ordinary takeoff field during World War II, but today it is one of the busiest international airports in the Caribbean. The runway length is minimal for large liners and is just over 2000 meters.
The planes land in close proximity to the beach area. Vacationers quickly get used to soaring overhead and strong gusts of wind, so they have fun and take selfies against the background of planes going to land. It is not surprising that this airport is considered one of the most dangerous in the world.
If you are really interested in all the most unusual, I also recommend viewing The most unusual hotels in the world and the most unusual beaches in the world.
Hong Kong International Airport
The Kai-Tak air transport heaven in Hong Kong has earned a place on the list of the most unusual and dangerous due to its unusual approach to landing. If you watch the video, you will definitely not envy the passengers! I can imagine how breathtaking they were when the plane made a 47-degree turn.
Needless to say, all of this was happening right above residential areas? Airplanes literally swept past balconies and windows of houses. Plus, high hills and frequent gusts of wind, the direction of which is constantly changing. Extreme landings at this airport were closed for the happiness of passengers in the spring of 1998.
Paro Airport
Paro Air Harbor is the only paved harbor in all of Bhutan. Fewer than ten pilots worldwide are certified to land. This is not because the Kingdom is so greedy and not because there are so few talented aviators willing to fly long distance.
This is due to the fact that not every pilot will be able to go around the mountain and enter the landing course at an altitude of several tens of meters. Well, the plane was landed, and then there was an equally extreme takeoff ahead. Just imagine, there is a mountain right on the course, and around ... that's right, there are also mountains five kilometers high.
North Front Airport
Unusual is the airport of the smallest peninsula of Gibraltar called the North Front. The British overseas area is only 6.5 square kilometers, which has allowed equipping a single runway. Nevertheless, it crosses the entire territory of the peninsula with ease. It is considered surprising that the airport is located only half a kilometer from the center, and its runway intersects with the local highway that leads to the borders of Spain. It turned out to be a kind of intersection of air and land transport routes. It is a rather risky decision, but not a single accident involving an aircraft and cars has been recorded.
Quito Mariscal Sucre International airport
One of the highest in the world (almost three thousand meters above sea level) is the airport in Quito. The airport building is very modern and allows passengers to comfortably wait for their flight. The negative side of this air dock can be attributed to the really dangerous location of the strip for takeoffs and landings. It is located between active volcanoes, which, among other things, complicate the pilot's work, throwing out clouds of ash.
It is also worth noting that even in sunny weather, only a highly qualified specialist can land a plane, because the quality of the runway is far from perfect. Now add to this, for example, a tropical downpour. Agree, the task has become much more complicated. In general, one more airport takes pride of place in the list of not only unusual, but also dangerous.
Barra Airport
Why is this airport so remarkable that it was included in the list of the most unusual? The fact is that its runways, 800 meters long, are located right on the sea beach by all standards. Naturally, passengers can enjoy stunning views of the Scottish countryside from the aircraft windows. It is noteworthy that it is precisely because of the location that the flight schedule is controlled not by man, but by nature, because it has to be compiled taking into account the ebb and flow.
During high tides, there is no need to talk about any landings or take-offs. Night flights are also excluded, although if an extreme situation requires it, the aircraft will be allowed to land. At the same time, the employees will have to do so much - to place special tapes along the coast that reflect the light, to highlight the strip itself, and with atomic headlights, and to manage the process. In short, Barra Airport is one of the most dangerous, but damn interesting.
Gisborne Airport
There is another unusual airport in the city of Gisborne, New Zealand. Aircraft that fly domestically and use the Gis Bourne airport runway have to wait in line to let the train pass. Trains were also forced to give way according to the timetable. Amazing, isn't it? The point is that the runway crosses the railroad tracks.
Matekane Air Strip
Is it possible to combine a landing strip and a sheer cliff? In amazing and incomprehensible Africa, you can realize your wildest fantasies. A striking example of this is the Matekane landing strip in Lesotho. If you are lucky enough to purchase tickets for one of the flights, then believe me, you will never experience such emotions again.
The fact is that the length of the runway is only 400 meters. Is the tension building up? Excellent! The pilots literally have to fall off the cliff together with the passengers, because this is the only way to gain the required altitude. Paradox.
Funchal Madeira Airport
Portugal also distinguished itself by its non-standard solution and approach to construction. In the Madeira region, Funchal airport is located, the landing strip of which is located right on the edge of the cliff and is supported by 180 reinforced concrete pillars. Well, what else could you think of?
The island has a mountainous landscape and is surrounded by the waters of the sea, there is nothing left but to carve out a small flat area, and supplement it with columns that rise directly above the water. A stunning picture appears before passengers when the plane swoops straight into the mountains and at the last second turns to the right side onto the runway. The airport was awarded a prestigious award for this engineering solution.
Tegucigalpa Toncontin International airport
Another airport, thanks to its mountainous and hilly location and short runway, has earned the status of one of the most dangerous and unusual in the world. Difficult approach requires skill from the pilots, since the turn has to be performed at a rather low and therefore dangerous height.
Tenzing-Hillary Airport
The airport was named after the first daredevils who managed to conquer the inaccessible Mount Everest and reach its top. It is one of the busiest in Nepal and regularly receives flights with brave passengers who also dream of climbing to the top of the mountain. What is so remarkable about the airport? The fact that it is very dangerous, because even some experienced pilots could not avoid a sad fate.
Strong gusty winds, cloudy skies and a runway that ends in a cliff all create mixed feelings for those about to land or take off.
Kansai International airport
In the central part of Japan, there is the artificial island of Kansai, which is connected to the coast by more than four kilometers of route. In 1994, the airport was officially opened on the island. It's hard to imagine, but its construction cost $ 15 billion. Now imagine how much it costs airlines to land at these airports! Let's not torment - each Boeing gives about $ 7,500.
In fact, such investments in construction are associated with the fact that it took a lot of money and efforts in the fight against the subsidence of the island of Consai. Its level went down all the time. Many already legally considered the idea of building an airport a failure, but the flooding slowed down. Today the airport is functioning and amazes tourists.
Kuala Lumpur International Airport
This airport is undoubtedly the main air gateway to Malaysia and has three terminals. The ultra-modern building features breathtaking design and style. The huge space of the passenger hall is covered with a spectacular dome. It is not surprising that it was awarded the title of the most environmentally friendly airport in the world, and its five-level terminal (Main) is the best in the world.
Juancho E. Yrausquin Airport
This unusual airport is located on the island of Saba in the Caribbean. The runway at Juancho E. Yrausquin International Airport is located on the border of the island and is the shortest in the world. One gets the impression that a little bit more and the plane can fall off the cliff, and there it will be met by the endless expanses of the ocean. For this, he is ranked among the most dangerous in the world. In general, an airport for experienced pilots, small planes and courageous tourists.
Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport
Probably the most politicized airport is the air dock of the city of Washington in the United States of America. Its location is in the area of America's strategic buildings. In short, Reagan Airport is surrounded by the Pentagon, the Central Intelligence Agency and the White House. In general, pilots have to use their maneuverability skills to avoid strategically important targets, otherwise they can get into big trouble. How do you like these neighbors?
Courchevel airport
Courchevel Airport is located on the slopes of the Alps in France, and has a runway length of 520 meters, and also has the highest slope on the horizon, more than eighteen percent. But you must admit that the area is indescribable.
Innsbruck Kranebitten Airport
In the heart of Innsbruck are the runways and runways of the Kranebitten airport. The air harbor is surrounded on all sides by residential buildings and city buildings. The town itself is surrounded by high mountainous terrain, so how can we not include it in our list with such parameters?
