The 25 worst airports from around the world
Are you afraid to fly? Psychologists consider the fear of flying to be one of the most difficult psychological problems: some shudder even at the thought of getting on a plane and getting off the ground. Sometimes this fear becomes a serious obstacle for such people to move freely around the world and see many wonderful distant countries. According to some studies, the fear of flying is exacerbated when it comes to security issues, including at the airport.
In this issue, we will tell you about the 25 most terrible airports in the world, in which horror begins long before you get on a plane.
Landing at this airport can be very dangerous, because there is only one — and even then a short — runway, which also ends ... in the sea. Despite this, it is very picturesque here, so this airport can be called not only one of the most dangerous, but also one of the most beautiful.
This airport is surrounded on all sides by the Indian Ocean, which naturally raises the question: what happens if something goes wrong during landing or the pilot simply does not have enough space to brake? The 1,219-meter-long airfield is so small that it looks like a fragment of a larger runway, part of which seems to have gone under the sea. Due to the dangers that short lanes carry, it has been suggested more than once to stretch it, but so far flights continue in normal mode, because This is the only airport in Lakshadweep, an Indian territory consisting of 36 luxurious exotic islands.
Of course, this is not such a "dangerous" airport (compared to others in this list), but there is something unusual about it. If you ever take a taxi along Runway 10 at this airport, you'll be able to see something creepy. The fact is that a couple of... graves are engraved on strip 10. They belong to the former owners of the land on which the airport is now located — their last wish was that they be buried here.
Landing at this beautiful airport thanks to the surrounding nature and one of the most remote on the planet can be either amazing or the most terrifying experience — in any case, unforgettable. But for pilots, this is, without a doubt, a nightmare, because in order to land here, you need to fly along the fjord in constant fear of getting into turbulence, which happens even on seemingly windless days.
The dimensions of the artificial island of Kansai are 4 km long and 2.5 km wide — they say it is even visible from space. From an engineering point of view, the local airport is one of the most impressive in the world, but, unfortunately, frequent earthquakes, powerful cyclones and unstable seabed make this masterpiece of engineering one of the most dangerous airports in the world.
This is a "deceptive" airport, in which at first glance there is nothing unusual. However, if you look closely, you will notice a rather strange thing: right in the center of two runways, someone managed to squeeze... an 18-hole golf course. This makes this airport not only one of the most dangerous, but also one of the strangest.
The fact that only 8 pilots worldwide are qualified enough to land here should already tell you a lot. But if this is not enough, you will probably also be interested in the fact that Paro Airport is 2.4 km above sea level and is surrounded by sharp peaks-five thousand meters, and the runway is only 1980 m long. And finally, there are rumors that passengers who dare to land at this tiny airport in the Himalayas usually throw sedative pills to get their nerves in order.
Many pilots considered this place the scariest airport, and that's why it was closed in 1998. Strong crosswinds and the surrounding mountains only added to the difficulties during the landing, and at one time this place was the most unpopular for the locals. It's not for nothing that this airport is called "the father of all the most terrible airports."
This is a truly unique airport on the planet, because there is a beach used instead of a runway. Yes, you read everything correctly: there are three runways in the shape of a triangle on the beach, and they are marked with wooden poles at the ends.
The most dangerous and at the same time strange thing about this airport is the fact that it is only 8 km from the city center. If you travel often, you should know that the most densely populated and large cities in the world usually build their airports on the outskirts or even a few kilometers from the city limits for security reasons, but apparently the residents of Sao Paulo have not heard about this. As a result, every landing of an airplane at this airport becomes a real test in terms of security.
This may sound like an exaggeration, but this is probably one of the craziest airports in the world. Why? Yes, because a railway runs right across the main runway. Yes, yes — a real railway! Dispatchers must coordinate takeoffs and landings with the arrival of trains. And even though the road was recently closed after damage as a result of a hurricane, the airport is still operating, although it has only operated cargo flights since 2001.
In 2010, the History Channel named this airport the most dangerous in the world. It is located at an altitude of 2900 meters, and its runway is framed by a high mountain on one side and the deepest abyss on the other. Perfect conditions for landing, right?
Los Angeles Airport has been called the most dangerous in the United States more than once. It hosts an "intensive training program" for pilots, dispatchers and vehicle operators on situational hazards and other aspects of runway safety.
This is one of the most dangerous airports in the world, despite the fact that it serves the rich who have flown to ski in the French Alps. To get to the resort of the same name, you must first experience a breathtaking landing at the airport. The runway is only 518 m long, but the best "surprise" is a hill somewhere in the middle of the strip.
It was a real nightmare even for the most experienced pilots. To begin with, the airport was located at a high altitude, in the heart of the densely populated capital of Ecuador, which greatly increased the risk factor. Moreover, the mountainous terrain, active volcanoes and the valley, which was constantly covered with fog, only complicated landings and takeoffs at this airport. But that's not all: the runway was uneven, there were a lot of bumps on it. Fortunately, the airport was finally closed last year and a new one was built.
In the History Channel's list of the most dangerous airports in the world, this one took second place, and for good reason. Its runway is located in a valley surrounded by mountains, and the "entrance" and "exit" for aircraft are in one place, which, of course, increases the risk of a tragedy. Surprisingly, despite this, even Boeing 757s land at this airport and fly out of it every day.
At first glance, it may seem that the airport is quite ordinary, but it is worth looking closely, and you will understand that this is not so. Undoubtedly, the most exceptional fact is that the main runway passes through the main street of the city. Yes, yes. That is, every time a plane has to land, cars have to stop and let the train pass... that is, we wanted to say the plane, of course.
This small international airport on the beautiful island of Madeira has a very short runway. And this despite the fact that in 2003 its length was doubled. In addition, the ocean surrounds it on one side, and the mountains on the other. The airport is considered one of the most dangerous in the world.
To land at this one of the busiest airports in the Caribbean, pilots fly over the beach, cross the fence, fly over the road, and then finally land.
It is one of the three main runways used to deliver provisions and researchers to McMurdo Station in Antarctica. It is designed with the expectation of even Boeing 757 and heavy cargo aircraft. At the moment, the main dangers of the airport are weather conditions, not the location of the airport itself.
This is the largest airport in the world in terms of land area — it stretches for 300 square miles of desert. The local airport is so huge that — believe it or not — the pilots themselves sometimes find it difficult to say where it starts and where it ends, because from a great distance it merges with the surrounding desert.
Technically, there is nothing wrong with the location or plan of this airport, but the most irresponsible staff in the world works here. One night an air traffic controller was accused of watching a movie instead of directing planes. And another time, administrators complained that night shift dispatchers sleep during breaks or play electronic games if the flight schedule is not too tight.
This airport has an incredibly short runway, which usually serves small aircraft with a capacity of no more than 20 passengers. There is a strip at the base of the slope, which ends at the beach. In addition, planes pose a danger already on approach due to the hilly terrain, and takeoff generally occurs almost over the heads of vacationers on the beach.
Tibet is located in the highest mountains of the world — the Himalayas, so it is not surprising that Bamda Airport is one of the highest located in the world, it is located at an altitude of more than 4000 meters. The most interesting thing is that the runway length is almost 5 km, i.e. it is the longest runway in the world. Low oxygen content at such altitudes can cause discomfort for beginners in this area, and also reduces the performance of aircraft engines, which is why landing here is a real test.
The way to this beautiful Caribbean island can be a nightmare for you, because the airport is a single runway with a length of 396 m. Surrounded by high cliffs, this short strip (which would probably be a great place for skateboarding competitions) almost ends in the ocean. It is clear that large planes simply will not be able to land here, but it is not easy even for cornhuskers.