Understanding the real barriers to productivity
Skiathos International Airport has a short, narrow runway close to residential homes, hemmed in by the sea and a hill, making navigation difficult for pilots. To make matters worse, landing brings aircraft precariously close to a nearby beach.
Sources: (Forbes) (Holidify) (HowStuffWorks)
See also: How to land a plane in an emergency
While it may not look terrifying to land at LaGuardia Airport, a crowded airspace, flocks of birds, and a runway that extends into the water make touching down a real test of skill and precision for pilots.
Kushok Bakula Rimpochee Airport, situated in the heart of the Himalayas, offers a scenic landing. However, the fierce afternoon winds mean planes can only take off and land in the mornings.
Nestled in the Himalayan Mountain Range, landing at Paro International Airport is so challenging that only eight pilots are qualified to do it. The 6,500-foot (1,980-meter) runway requires navigating severe winds that create extreme turbulence.
Flying a plane into San Diego International Airport is not for the faint-hearted, due to the mountainous surroundings and strong tailwinds blowing in from the west.
The runway at Gustaf III Airport, on the island of St. Barts, is tucked between a steep hillside at the approach end and the Caribbean Sea at the other, making the landing a nerve-wracking experience.
Previously named Madeira Airport, Cristiano Ronaldo International was only 5,250 feet (1,600 meters) long when it first opened in 1964. A few years later, an incoming flight carrying 164 passengers overshot the steep bank at the end of the short runway and crashed onto the beach, killing 131 people.
Nicknamed the "Airport in the Sky," Catalina Airport is located on a mountaintop at an elevation of about 1,600 feet (nearly 490 meters) above sea level. The high altitude means that planes have to prepare for heavy turbulence on a runway that often features soft spots and potholes.
With hills on one side and the ocean on the other, and only about 1,310 feet (400 meters) of runway, landing at Juancho E. Yrausquin Airport is a challenging feat that requires precision and skill from pilots.
The runways at Svalbard Airport are built directly on thick ice. The seasonal melting means they require constant repairs and maintenance.
McMurdo Station on the Hut Point Peninsula on Ross Island has a runway that is completely made of white ice. During the winter, the area is dark 24 hours a day, and with no lights on the runway, pilots are trained to land blind.
If landing on a runway completely surrounded by water wasn't challenging enough, pilots at Sitka Rocky Gutierrez Airport also have to contend with debris that sometimes washes up on the landing strip. The situation is made even more dangerous by the vast amounts of birds that flock near the runway.
While it may look stunning from above, pilots must navigate icy mountains and fly up a fjord to land at Narsarsuaq Airport in Greenland. Fog and high winds are common, and night landings and takeoffs are completely forbidden.
Part of the runway at Gibraltar International Airport crosses Winston Churchill Avenue, the busiest road on the island leading to the Spanish border. Vehicles must stop each time a plane takes off or lands, and drivers rely on barriers and signals to control traffic movement on the road.
Congonhas Airport in São Paulo, Brazil, is challenging to land at due to its short runway and hazardous approach in a dense urban area. The runways were once considered among the most slippery in the world, but new landing strips with grooves to collect rainwater are being constructed.
Not only is the airport exposed to hazards like earthquakes and cyclones, but it has also sunk some 38 feet (about 11 meters) since its construction in 1994. Rising sea levels are also a concern, with the potential to eventually submerge the airport completely.
Kansai International Airport is built on an artificial island and was constructed to relieve overcrowding at Osaka International Airport. The Kansai island measures just 4 kilometers (2.5 miles) in length and 2.5 kilometers (1.6 miles) in width.
One of two international airports serving Bangkok, Don Mueang International Airport is located between two golf courses, which can pose challenges for aircraft operations due to limited space and potential distractions.
At Princess Juliana International Airport, planes fly over a busy beach, coming dangerously close to the ground before landing. Large planes require 8,000 feet (over 2,400 meters) of runway for landing, but this airport only has 7,000 feet (about 2,100 meters).
Kai Tak Airport served as Hong Kong's international airport until 1998. Due to relentless crosswinds, taking off and landing were perilous, and the hilly surroundings made landing even more challenging to navigate.
The runway is also short, measuring about 7,100 feet (2,160 meters), which makes overshooting the landing strip a serious concern. This actually occurred in 2008, when a TACA Airlines Airbus A320 skidded off the runway and into a nearby street.
Agatti Airport in Lakshadweep sits on a thin strip of land in the Indian Ocean. While beautiful, the runway is just 400 feet (about 120 meters) long, with pilots having to navigate the small terminal during landing.
Barra International Airport is situated at the northernmost tip of Barra island. Scheduled flights land directly on the sand, and the runways disappear at high tide, meaning pilots must remain alert to unexpected weather and rapidly changing tidal conditions.
Due to its proximity to the mountains and the narrow size of the runway, landing is complicated at Toncontín International Airport in Honduras. Pilots have to make a dramatic sharp turn when landing.
Wellington International Airport features a single 6,350-foot (1,935-meter) runway that appears to start and end in the water. The approach is through a mountainous area known for strong winds, which makes landings particularly challenging.
And as if the geography wasn't challenging enough, the airport sometimes lacks electric power and there are virtually no modern air traffic control features.
Courchevel Altiport in France has one of the shortest runways in the world, measuring only about 1,760 feet (roughly 535 meters). Not only is it located in the mountains, pilots also need to land planes at sharp angles in order to slow them down.
Lukla Airport, or Tenzing-Hillary Airport, is located near Mount Everest. Situated between mountains with a very short runway, the landing can be incredibly challenging for pilots. With steep terrain on one side and a drop on the other, there's little room for error.
According to research, climate change will severely affect Svalbard Airport's landing strips, and the airport may need to be shut down in the future.
Flying a plane is no easy feat. It requires precision, quick decision-making, and the ability to handle unpredictable weather conditions, all while ensuring the safety of everyone on board. Thanks to aircraft technology, more efficient air traffic control, and improved training for pilots and mechanics, air travel is safer and more reliable than ever before. Despite this, one of the riskiest parts of any flight remains the final approach and landing, and at some airports around the world this is a nail-biting experience for even the most seasoned of travelers.
From Juancho E. Yrausquin Airport, with the shortest runway in the world, to Barra Airport with its beach runway, this gallery features some of the most hair-raising airport landings on the planet. Click on to discover them all.
The most risky airport landings (four are in the US)
Clapping upon landing can be forgiven at these airports!
LIFESTYLE Travel
Flying a plane is no easy feat. It requires precision, quick decision-making, and the ability to handle unpredictable weather conditions, all while ensuring the safety of everyone on board. Thanks to aircraft technology, more efficient air traffic control, and improved training for pilots and mechanics, air travel is safer and more reliable than ever before. Despite this, one of the riskiest parts of any flight remains the final approach and landing, and at some airports around the world this is a nail-biting experience for even the most seasoned of travelers.
From Juancho E. Yrausquin Airport, with the shortest runway in the world, to Barra Airport with its beach runway, this gallery features some of the most hair-raising airport landings on the planet. Click on to discover them all.