The highest airport. The most dangerous airports in the world Ice runway at the station "Novolazarevskaya" in Antarctica

Many people are afraid to fly, but, according to many pilots, it is dangerous, and not the flight itself is terrible, but the takeoff and landing of the aircraft. According to statistics we all love, every 6 people on the planet experience exciting sensations during a flight or while waiting for a flight.

But there are those who are happy to go on a trip, and even better if it is filled with extreme sports and adrenaline. In order to secure the former and please the latter, we have prepared list of the most dangerous airports in the world, and it is not surprising that almost all of them are in exotic and distant countries. So go ahead for a suitcase and new exciting experiences!

1. Saba Island. AirportJuanchoE.Yrausquin. This airport is equipped with a runway - 400 meters, which is the smallest in the world. On the one hand, the strip rests against the mountains, and on the other hand, it ends with a cliff over the Caribbean Sea. According to official data, this airport is closed, but there are exceptions (they are made by the aviation of the Netherlands).

2. Tibet, Chamdo district. AirportQamdoBamda. It is located at an altitude of 4334 meters above sea level and is the highest airport in the world. Due to the rarefaction of the air (which affects the engines), take-off landing strip is one of the longest - 5,500 meters.

3. Antarctica. AirportIcerunway. It is generally difficult to call it an airport, most of all it looks like a large well-groomed piece of ice. However, many planes (mostly cargo planes) regularly take off and land, each time overcoming snow and cold.

4. Gibraltar. AirportGibraltar. It can rightly be called an engineering nightmare, as car roads, and the airport itself is located just 500 meters from the city center.

5. Portugal. AirportMadeira. The airport is located literally at the junction of mountains and the sea, and the runway is more like a bridge. In order to lengthen it, 180 columns had to be installed, the height of which was about 60 meters.

6.Sep-Marten. AirportPrincess Juliana. Even during the Second World War, an airfield was built here, today it is the largest international Airport Caribbean region.

The danger of the runway is that it is located close to the beach. Planes run regularly and fly just 15 meters above the heads of vacationers.

7.France. AirportCourchevel. The most popular resort in the world could not do without an airport, so they found a way out, built one of the most dangerous in the world. The runway stretches for only 525 meters, and even be under a slope of 18.5 degrees. Moreover, the functionality of the airport is limited during fog.

8.Butane. Airportparo. This international airport is located at an altitude of more than 2,000 meters above sea level, and its surroundings are peaks of 5,000 and above. Accordingly, one can imagine how professional a pilot must be, who decided on one of the most difficult takeoffs / landings. By the way, there are only 8 such pilots in the world (who are considered quite qualified).

9.Svalbard (Svalbard, Grumant). AirportSvalbard.It is located on the territory of the polar archipelago and is the northernmost civil airport in the world, it is also the largest structure in the archipelago. Its closest neighbor is Mount Platoberge. The airport has the status of an international one, since it makes direct flights not only to Oslo, Ny-Ålesund and Seva, but also to Barentsburg.

10. Honduras. AirportToncontin. In fact, it is possible not to use this airport, but this is Honduras. Its danger lies not only in geographical location, but also in the fact that it is surrounded by mountains, and also equipped with a runway that is too short, from which it is easy enough for planes to slide off.

In fact, this is not the whole list of the most dangerous airports in the world, most are located in very small and inconspicuous towns and look so terrifying that this is a completely different topic, for example, “which airports should never be visited by anyone.” It's amazing how often human ingenuity works against the person himself.

In fact, all takeoffs and landings at these airports are professional pilots with a lot of experience, but this does not mean at all that everything depends on them.

Airports are already dangerous, and if the weather conditions are unfavorable, and you decide on such a flight, it is better to linger in one of these beautiful places and enjoy the local beauty for another day or two, thereby saving your life and getting additional positive emotions.

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According to most pilots, takeoff and landing are the most dangerous moments in a flight. However, some conditions are more risky than others, yet no amount of mountain peaks, cliff sides, crowded beaches and main roads seem to stop the brave pilots on this list who work in these conditions every day.

In this list, we will describe the most extreme and dangerous airports from around the world. So, fasten your seat belts:

10. Juancho E. Yrausquin Airport
Saba Island

Getting to this amazingly beautiful Caribbean island is not easy, and all because of the runway, which is only 396 meters long - which is quite a bit longer than most runways on aircraft carriers. The impossibly short airstrip is surrounded by high cliffs and dangerously close to a steep slope that leads straight into the ocean.

For these reasons, this airport is considered one of the most dangerous airports in the world. A pilot's misjudgment during takeoff can send the plane straight into the abyss. Large planes avoid this airport for obvious reasons, but even for very small planes like the Cessna, landing is a difficult task, especially in bad weather. Well, at least everyone knows what is to blame for the constant decline in tourism on the island.

9. Chandu Banda Airport (Qamdo Bamda Airport)
Tibet



Chandu Banda Airport is the highest airport in the world, at over 4,330 meters above sea level. In addition to the height of the location of this airport, it also impresses with an almost 5.5-kilometer runway.

A runway sixty football fields long may seem like overkill, but obviously the length of the runway is critical to making a safe landing at high altitudes. When an aircraft starts descending into an area at sea level at 241 kilometers per hour, it needs a runway at least 1,524 meters long to come to a complete stop. But when it lands on terrain more than 4,330 meters above sea level, the length of the runway needed to bring it to a complete stop must be twice as long.

Traveling at high altitudes can actually be extremely dangerous and travelers should be aware of the danger before they even fly to such places.

8. Gustaf III Airport
Saint Barthélemy



The small airport Gustav III, on the Caribbean island of Saint Barthelemy, exposes both pilots and passengers to quite serious dangers. The runway on which the runway was built is incredibly narrow, and planes approach landing frighteningly close to the hillsides of the surrounding area, putting the plane at risk of crashing into the ocean every time they land.

This YouTube video is a great illustration of what you have to go through if something goes wrong on landing. It is good that at least in this case no one received even minor injuries.

7 Ice Runway
Antarctica



The dangers of the Ice Runway have more to do with the extreme weather that the pilot has to contend with than with the layout or location of the airport itself. The ice airstrip is one of the three largest airstrips used to transport scientists and supplies to McMurdo Station in Antarctica. As its name suggests, there are no tarmac roads here - just long stretches of carefully cleared ice and snow.

There is no shortage of space on the Ice Runway, so even a huge aircraft can land relatively easily here. The difficulty lies in landing the plane so that its weight, combined with the weight of its cargo, does not break through the ice and so that the plane does not get stuck in soft snow. As soon as the ice on this runway begins to break, planes are diverted to Pegasus Field and Williams Field, two other runways serving the station.

6. Courchevel Airport
France



City of Courchevel in french alps ah is one of the most famous ski resorts in Europe, but, apparently, the city owes much of its fame to its airport, which is located in the mountains. Courchevel Airport is famous not only for its incredibly high and strange place location, but also because he played an important role in the James Bond film Tomorrow Never Dies, in which Mr. Bond successfully landed a plane at a highly dangerous airport.

5. Barra International Airport (Barra International Airport)
Scotland



This is quite possibly the only airport in the world that also serves as a beach. Takeoffs and landings at Barra Airport take place on the same sand that people walk on after hours for the airport. And that's not all: at high tide in the evening, the headlights of all passing cars help the pilot to land the plane. For those who just want to enjoy a romantic stroll along the beach, there are warning signs informing people of all upcoming aircraft landings.

Believe it or not, Barra is still officially recognized by the Organization. air traffic(Air Traffic Organization) international airport, and it seems that any logical or rational proposals are not taken into account by the authorities. We can only hope that they are better informed than we are about all the intricacies of this airport location!

4. Toncontin International Airport
Honduras



In Tegucigalpa, the capital of Honduras, you can land at one of the most dangerous and infamous airports in the world. It has been the subject of several accidents, including a plane crash in 2008 that killed five passengers. This airport was opened back in 1934, when the planes were less powerful and did not need such long runways.

The Tonkotin airstrip is a little over 2133 meters long and is located in a valley surrounded by mountains. And what is even more incredible - this moment the danger of this airport is that it has only one runway and one runway for aircraft, which greatly increases the risk of accidents. Despite all these high-risk factors, such big planes like a Boeing 757.

3. Tenzing-Hillary Airport
Nepal



The airport was originally called Lukla Airport, but was later renamed Tenzing and Hillary Airport to commemorate the first people to reach the summit of Mount Everest. Located in the city of Lukla, Nepal, the airport serves thousands of rock climbers hoping to "conquer" Everest, as well as amateur climbers looking to explore the Everest region.

Among the dangers of this airport, one can list strong winds and heavy clouds - but these are not at all the most terrible factors. As with Gustav III Airport, one end of the runway at Tenzing and Hillary Airport ends in high terrain, only instead of beautiful sandy beach at the other end you will fall down 609 meters.

There have already been several accidents at this airport, and the last one happened on October 12, 2010.

2. Madeira International Airport
Portugal



When Madeira International Airport was first opened in 1964, the length of each of its two main runways did not exceed 1600 meters.

After a horrific accident in 1977, during which a Boeing 727 on its way to land crashed on a stone bridge and ended up on the beach, one of the runways was extended by 200 meters. In the early 2000s, the runway was extended even further, and now runs across the beach, supported by columns.

Even with the extended runway, the most casual landing is still not easy even for the most experienced pilots. Against all their instincts, and in order to set the aircraft on the correct landing course, pilots must first steer the aircraft towards the vague outline of a mountaintop, and then swerve quickly to the left to avoid hitting the mountain.

1. Gibraltar Airport
Gibraltar



Gibraltar Airport is not only one of the most dangerous airports in the world, but also one of the busiest (especially when compared to the other dangerous airports included in this list). No matter how incredible it may sound, the route of this airport actually passes through the main street of the city.

Vehicles forced to stop every time the plane lands or takes off. Even more surprising is that there has never been a single major accident here - and we hope that there will not be any.

A large number of people are sincerely afraid of air travel, and everyone has their own reasons for this. People who understand air transport and the features of its management are well aware that the most dangerous during flights is takeoff and landing operations. Of course, we must not forget about natural factors that affect calmness during the trip, including rocky terrain, mountains, sandy coasts and other features of the natural landscape that must be taken into account by the crew of airliners. Further, the most dangerous airports in the world will be considered, on which take-off and landing maneuvers require special skill and utmost concentration from the crew.

Juancho E. Yrausquin

The first air gate on our list is located on one of the most beautiful islands CaribbeanSaba. Perhaps this is the most dangerous airport in the world, topping the list because of its disastrously short runway. Its length is equal to approximately 396 meters. However, if this fact can still be somehow reconciled, then the picture is complemented by high cliffs surrounding the landing zone, and a nearby steep slope leading directly to the ocean.

Landing here requires absolute concentration from the crew - incorrect calculations can cost the lives of all passengers, since there is a high probability that the ship will fall into the abyss. Most of pilots tries to bypass this airport. Even professionals do not risk flying here. Takeoff and landing maneuvers are often quite difficult even for small aircraft. Weather conditions on the island are also sometimes unpredictable. Of course, this situation leads to a significant decrease in the flow of tourists who want to relax on this island, even despite the beauty and solitude of this paradise.

Juancho E. Yrausquin Airport

Qamdo Bamda

The Tibetan air complex Qamdo Bamda became the record holder in height. Its location at 4250 meters exceeds sea level. Taking off and landing at such an altitude is very dangerous, so the airport is equipped with a fairly large runway, the duration of which is 3500 meters. But here it is still allowed to serve both large and small aircraft.

Even at sea level, approach speed is 241 km/h. To ensure a safe landing and a complete stop, an average aircraft may need about 1520 meters, but at the altitude at which the Tibetan airfield is located, this distance is at least doubled.

Qamdo Bamda airport

Gustaf III

The next airport is located on caribbean island Saint Barthelemy. For pilots, there are quite tough conditions here:

  • firstly, the runway here has a very narrow corridor, which threatens the catastrophically close approach of aircraft to the slopes of the elevation of the local landscape during landing;
  • secondly, the length of the airport runway is only 640 meters, which is suitable only for small aircraft(up to 20 passengers);
  • thirdly, the lane starts at the road junction, and ends right at local beach, because of which the planes fly right over the heads of vacationers.

Air Gate Gustaf III

ice runway

You can guess the features of the next runway by its name alone. She made it to our list of the 10 most dangerous airports in the world because of her ice cover, and also due to unpredictable weather conditions reigning in this area. This strip, located in Antarctica, is used primarily for the needs of McMurdo Station. In order to somehow facilitate the task facing the crew, the runway is carefully looked after, turning it into a well-groomed landing area of ​​ice and snow. Landing here is complicated by the fact that the pilot needs to calculate whether the ice will break under the weight of the aircraft, and whether the ship will get stuck in the snow. If suddenly the ice here begins to melt a little, the planes are immediately redirected to other Antarctic air hubs.

Ice Runway

Courchevel

Probably everyone has heard of one of the the best ski resorts Europe - Courchevel. It is located in the town of the same name in the French Alps. But this place has become famous not only for its excellent conditions for first-class sports recreation. The popular resort has its own airport, located right in the middle of the mountains.

The Courchevel airfield has become the main location in one of the films of the legendary Bondiana "Tomorrow Never Dies", in which the main character manages to masterfully land the plane on the most dangerous runway.

The aerocomplex was forced to be built on a mountain slope, the slope of which is 18 degrees. But there are other difficulties for pilots:

  • hump on the territory of the runway;
  • the length of the local landing zone is about 530 meters.

Needless to say, but air travel to Courchevel turns into a very exciting journey. Quite often, flights are canceled here due to bad weather conditions.

Courchevel Airport - famous and dangerous

barra

The unique beach-airport is located in Barra Island (Scotland). This is a unique aerocomplex, the runway of which is beach. It is noteworthy that at high tide it is completely flooded with water, so flights have to be planned taking into account these natural factors.

The only help for pilots during landings during night tides is the light from the headlights of passing cars.

In order for vacationers to know about the arrival of aircraft, special warning signs. Landing here is breathtaking not only for the crew, but also for the locals.

Barra's unique beach-airport

Toncontin

The Honduran airport is notorious around the world due to several accidents. The airfield began to serve aircraft in 1934. In those days, aircraft were not as powerful, and they did not need much space for acceleration and takeoff. The runway area of ​​the complex has a length of 2133 meters and is located in a valley surrounded by mountains on all sides. It is also worth noting that Toncontin has only one way for aircraft to take off and land.

Toncontin airport

Tenzing Hillary

Tenzing Hillary Airfield is located in eastern Nepal. Mostly climbers are served here: someone dreams of conquering Everest, and someone is simply interested in the region. All guests traveling by plane already understand the danger of flying and landing in these places already on the approach. The region often rages strong wind currents and dominate thick cloud cover. It is quite difficult to perform any maneuvers here. In addition, one end of the local runway ends in a sharp drop.

Tenzing-Hillary Airfield

Madeira

The danger of the Portuguese air hub Madeira lies in the relatively small length of its runways. Rocks and ocean literally squeezed between an air complex. The crew of any aircraft during landing is faced with a very difficult task - first direct the car towards the mountains, and then make flip flop before completing the maneuver.

The runway of the air hub is erected on high pillars, and the structure itself resembles a bridge.

The famous Madeira airport

Gibraltar

The Gibraltar air hub deservedly appeared in our top. It is considered not only one of the most dangerous, but also an extremely busy air complex in the world. The feature of this airfield was the location of its runway - it crosses one of the main streets of the city! Every time an airliner takes off or lands, all urban transport has to be completely shut down.

The highest airport in the world is Daocheng Yading, located in Sichuan province. It is built at an altitude of 4411 meters above sea level. Prior to this, the title of champion belonged to Kuamdo Bamdo, built in Tibet. The latter is lower than the current record holder by 77 meters.

Surprisingly, the highest airport was built in just two years. Its construction cost $255,000,000. Currently, Air China planes fly exclusively to Chengdu, the provincial capital where Daocheng Yading is located. Nevertheless, it can be called a major breakthrough for the local Chinese. It used to take people two days to get to Chengdu. Today, 800 kilometers are overcome in 65 minutes. Chengdu Daochen Yadin flights operate daily, and the cost of the flight is only 1,600 yuan, which ranges from 262 dollars.


The highest airport is located 159 kilometers from the world-famous attraction. Jaazhin Reserve, also known as Shangri-La, is the unofficial "last clean place on the ground". The local landscapes are striking in their beauty. It can be assumed that after the construction of the airport, the flow of curious tourists will increase here. This forecast is also obvious because in the near future flights from Chongqing, Guangzhou, Xi'an and Shanghai will be sent here. According to experts, the flow of passengers in this region will be increased to half a million people.