Top 10 Most Dangerous Airports
Posted on Feb 26th, 2011 by Ganapathy
“Go through your phone book, call people and ask them to drive you to the airport. The ones who will drive you are your true friends. The rest aren't bad people; they're just acquaintances.”
’)10. Tenzing-Hillary Airport, Lukla.
For decades, the Lukla Airport has been the gateway to the Khumbu Region and Mount Everest but the airport at 9,000 feet uphill runway that is fenced off at the end can be psychologically upsetting. Landings and takeoffs are more dramatic, the pilot has to brake hard to a stop as the plane drifts uphill toward a wall and thrust the motor to leave the ground off dead-ends at a drop into the valley below.
See it in Google Map: Lukla Airport Nepal9. Kansai International Airport
Kansai International Airport (KIX) is Japan's second most important international airport located on an artificial island in the middle of Osaka Bay, 38 km (24 mi) southwest of Ōsaka Station.
See it in Google Map: Kansai International Airport8. Gibraltar Airport
Gibraltar Airport has the distinction of being the airport closest to the city that it serves, being only 500 metres from Gibraltar's city centre and the paved runway intersected by the main road to Spain.
See it in Google Map: Gibraltar Airport7. Madeira International Airport (Santa Catarina Airport)
The airport was once infamous for its short runway which, surrounded by high mountains and the ocean, made it a tricky landing for even the most experienced of pilots. The original runway was only 1600 metres in length, but runway was extended by building it out over the ocean instead of using landfill, the extension was built on a series of 180 columns, each being about 70m tall.
See it in Google Map: Madeira International Airport6. Ice Runway
McMurdo Station is a U.S. Antarctic research center located on the southern tip of Ross Island. Runway is set out on the permanent sea ice that is about 12 feet think.
See it in Google Map: Ice Runway5. Congonhas Airport
Congonhas Airport handles solely domestic flights. The airport has been troubled by slippery runways and has had several accidents where water accumulation has been a significant factor.
See it in Google Map: Congonhas Airport4. Courchevel International Airport
Nestled high in the French Alps, the resort town of Courchevel ranks among the world’s most sophisticated ski areas and comes complete with its own airport. Landing or taking off at the airport can fray nerves, though: It’s right next to ski runs, Alpine weather conditions cause havoc, and the extremely short runway has a steep grade of 18.5 percent.
See it in Google Map: Courchevel International Airport3. Princess Juliana International Airport
Princess Juliana International Airport (Sint Maarten International Airport) is probably the only airport in the world where you can stand on a beach and watch planes landing within 50 ft. over your head.
See it in Google Map: Princess Juliana International Airport2. Svalbard Airport
Svalbard Airport, Longyear is the main airport serving Svalbard in Norway. The runway is insulated against the ground, so it will not melt during the summer.[5] The hangar is frozen into the ground, with the pillars being melted into place and then being frozen stuck.
See it in Google Map: Svalbard Airport
1. Juancho E. Yrausquin Airport
Juancho E. Irausquin Airport is the only airport on the Caribbean island of Saba. The airport's risky reputation arises from the airport's physical position: it is flanked on one side by high hills; and on the runway's other side and both ends, cliffs drop into the sea. Additionally, the runway at the airport is extremely short; this creates the possibility that an airplane could under/overshoot the runway during landing or takeoff and end up in the sea or dashed on the rocky cliffs. The airport has a small runway because of the mountain terrain. But it had to be made because Saba island needed an airport. It is considered the most dangerous airport in the world.
See it in Google Map: Juancho E. Yrausquin Airport
