What are the most dangerous airports in the world? When we are flying from one place to another we hope for three things. First, our trip not to be cancelled or delayed. Second, for us to have a safe and sound departure and arrival to our destination. And third, for our seatmate not to snore so loud. Each airline should be posting their precautions and should be implementing their own set of safety rules. What if the airline itself doesn’t have a choice but to continue their operation? It could be a matter of life and death and even a plane crash too. Yet, these notorious airlines don’t have a choice. They are only doing their job anyway, to fly you to different sides of the globe. Are you brave enough to fly with them? Well, there’s only one thing (or person) that makes this dangerous airport seem natural, he is the ‘pilot’.
Never underestimate the power and abilities of a pilot. They can fly and land a gigantic plane to places you could not have imagined before. A short airstrip could spell disaster if the pilot is not well-trained to lift-off in only a few thousand feet. A departure and arrival of a plane is difficult when you have to crisscross over the Alps. Some airports’ runways are so dangerous they shut down and never operated again.
We cannot wait any longer to name the most dangerous airports in the world! Before anything else, you may check out the 10 biggest airports in the world to feed yourself a handful of facts about aircrafts!
Here are the most dangerous airports in the world!
11. Los Angeles International Airport
Location: USA
LAX is consistently in the list of unsafe airports. According to a news reference, in 2007, a WestJet 737 descended and nearly smashed into a Northwest Airbus during departure. How can we trust LAX when even in its own runways, there’s still traffic?
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10. Barra International Airport
Location: Scotland
Who says runways can be just on land? In Scotland, pilots take-off and land their aircrafts on the beach! The Barra International Airport is located at the remote isle of Barra.
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9. Don Mueang International Airport
Location: Thailand
Most airports today have their own golf course, but to place it in the middle of the runway is already something to avoid. Let’s say the ball is in the air while a plane is set for landing or take-off. Don’t be surprised if your window gets hit by a golf ball or maybe even a golf club with outstanding force!
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8. Old Mariscal Sucre International Airport
Location: Ecuador
The airport is now closed due to its death-defying location in the mountainous terrain. There are 26 volcanoes in Ecuador, only a few of them are extinct. Having it situated in such terrain, the thick accumulation of fog is a major problem too.
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7. Paro Airport
Location: Bhutan
Located in the Himalayas, only eight pilots are qualified enough to land and take off in Paro Airport. Since it is in the Himalayas, the mountainous terrains serves as a gigantic obstacle. Bet the lucky 8 are not that lucky!
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6. Gibraltar International Airport
Location: Gibraltar
When crossing an intersection, we often see train rails going along. The Gibraltar International Airport was built during World War II. Today, a highway is sandwiched into its runway. Each time there is a plane to take off or land over, the road stands still, and no one dares to kick their engines up until the plane pass through.
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5. Congonhas Airport
Location: Brazil
In Brazil, the airport runway is just 5 miles away from the city center. The Congonhas Airport is one of the most dangerous airports in the world for its the lack of space that a plane needs to land. Its runway is very short, and pilots only have little or maybe no margin at all to take off and land.
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4. Princess Juliana International Airport
Location: Saint Martin
Seeing a plane take off or pass you by is not a scene we encounter every day. Yet, it’s already a routine at the Princess Juliana International Airport in Saint Martin. You are sitting at the white sand beach, sipping a drink, and suddenly there is a jumbo jet over you, no big deal at all. It’s NOT dangerous at all!
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3. Courchevel International Airport
Location: France
The things that make airports dangerous are their runways. A runway should be a long, uninterrupted track, but no one ever told architects that a runway can’t’ have a hill in the middle of the airstrip. Picture yourself in the airplane when taking off, you go up and then go down. Crazy, but still makes a dangerous impression for passengers, especially of the pilots.
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2. Juancho E. Yrausquin Airport
Location: Netherlands
A runway 1,300 meters long and the end point a cliff leading straight into the waters. This is a daily scene at the Juancho E. Yrausquin Airport in Netherlands. We’re not scaring you off, but one must avoid deviating from the standard. A small machine or pilot error can drag you down and crash your airplane right into the ocean.
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And the most dangerous airport in the world is…
1. Ice Runway
Location: Antarctica
Ice Runway is the only airport in Antarctica. And the only airport where planes are required to land on deep snow. The Ice Runway serves the researchers in delivering them supplies in their station at McMurdo. Landing on a cemented and stable runway is already difficult. What more if you are to land your airplane on a snow? We only wish Queen Elsa of the movie ‘Frozen’ could help us renovate the not so typical ride at the Ice Runway.
