Many popular resorts, including those that are considered the most fashionable, provide far from simple delivery for tourists. Moreover, some of them are even among the 5 most dangerous airports in the world, where pilots are simply afraid to fly. The ranking of these airports was presented by the Sun newspaper and many of these airports are well known to tourists.
Their rating is as follows:
1. Princess Juliana International Airport, St. Maarten is a Caribbean island owned by the Netherlands, famous for its beach with “low-flying” planes, from which the local authorities are unsuccessfully trying to expel tourists. The airstrip is right next to Maho Beach, and plane-spotting enthusiasts come here specifically to get unforgettable shots and the feeling of a plane taking off literally overhead. Unfortunately, it was not without tragic incidents – tourists were naturally “blown away”, as a result, wide-body aircraft were banned. But take-off and landing remain dangerous for both pilots and tourists.
2. Hechi Airport, China – It is not as well-known as the other participants in the ranking, but this airport in the Chinese province of Guangxi is considered one of the most spectacular and at the same time the most terrifying in the world. As part of the project, local developers leveled the tops of several mountains to lay a 1.6 km runway at an altitude of 670 meters above sea level. On two sides, the runway is surrounded by sheer cliffs, which makes any windy weather or miscalculations deadly.
3. Barra Airport, Scotland – this runway will not be able to accommodate a heavy airliner because it is a beach. And landing here depends not only on the skill of the pilot but also on the state of the sea. “During high tide, the runway is completely underwater,” the publication says.
4. Lukla Airport, aka Tenzing-Hillary Airport, known to all “high-altitude” extreme airport tourists in Nepal, is also known for its danger. It is located at an altitude of almost 3 km above sea level, the altitude also adds additional problems due to the low atmospheric pressure, which often seriously affects the controllability of the aircraft. At the same time, it has a short runway, and the wind around it often changes speed and strength very unpredictably. We should add that the mountainous area nearby creates obvious risks. Only light aircraft and helicopters are allowed to land here, and this maneuver is not easy for them either.
5. Courchevel Airport, France – no matter how strange it is, the airport of the most popular resort for the ski elite is included in the most extreme airports. In addition to its high altitude location, it is distinguished by having the world’s shortest runway at 537 meters, which means that there is no room for error when landing. Therefore, only small planes can fly here. Also, the work is complicated by “elite” people who like to meet planes.