30 Of The Most Dangerous Airports In The World

The tiny, 1,300-foot-long airstrip in Lesotho, Africa, has been dubbed the world's most terrifying runway. Because the planes don't have enough time to begin flying when they take off from Matekane, they must first drop off of a  2,000-foot cliff to actually fly!

North Front Airport, also known as the Gibraltar International Airport, is very dangerous because its runway passes through a street! And not some street, but the busiest avenue on the island. Now, if railroad crossings make you nervous, then think about an airplane crossing. Terrifying!

Tenzing-Hillary Airport, formerly known as the Lukla Airport, in Khumbu, Nepal, is often used by people visiting Mount Everest. The airport is set at an altitude of 8,000 feet with very short landing and take-off strips and virtually no modern air traffic control features. A real test of any pilot's abilities!

Before Hong Kong opened the Hong Kong International Airport in 1998, Kai Tak served as the primary airport. It had a perilous landing, it was constantly windy and located amidst mountains. Scary!

It's difficult to picture difficult air travel conditions in a place so exquisite given that it's situated on famous Saint Barthelemy (also known as St. Barts). Just over 640 meters long, the runway for landing ends right before the turquoise waters that are the hallmark of this idyllic sanctuary.

The Agati Airport in Lakshwadeep, India, is the only airport serving 36 Insiand tourist islands. And although the views there are breathtaking, the strip itself is only 4,000 feet long which makes any landing and take-off into extreme sports. 

Juancho E. Yrausquin Airport is an airport on the Dutch Caribbean island of Saba. The runway here is only 400 meters long, with hills on one side, and the ocean on another. So, if you're interested in visiting a paradise island and getting an adrenaline rush from flying here, Saba is your go-to place.

Gisborne Airport offers passengers a truly special experience because a railroad crosses the airstrip directly. Given that both parties are in operation during the day, proper scheduling is essential to preventing disaster from occurring at this airport.

The Courchevel Airport in France has one of the shortest runways in the world. They come at only a bit more than half a kilometer! In comparison, a typical runway is usually anywhere from two to four kilometers. Besides all that, the landing strip is also located amidst mountains which doesn't make it any easier to land or take-off. 

Saint Martin's main airport, The Princess Juliana International Airport, is one to test any pilot (and the guts of the craft's passengers!). Before landing, planes fly over a beach and some roads almost touching them, only to arrive at a very short landing strip which makes for a very uncomfortable abrupt landing. 

Toncontín International Airport, also known as Teniente Coronel Hernán Acosta Mejía Airport, is in Tegucigalpa, Honduras, and serves both as a civil and military airport. The difficulty here lies in the fact that the airport is located in a very mountainous region, and the pilot has to make certain arrangements so as to not hit the mountains!

The second-largest airport in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, is located here, and it is encircled by an abundance of azure ocean. Although it may be a beautiful sight to fly over, the runway is relatively little for landing, which greatly increases the likelihood of landing in these Brazilian bays.

The Narsarsuaq Airport is a stunning sight to view from the air and is a strong contender for one of the most difficult plane landings to make at an airport. When worrying about ice-covered runways and bone-chilling winds, you'll have great fjords to wonder at and stunning landscapes to enjoy.

A landing at Telluride Regional Airport can be a frightening event because of the airport's high elevation and cliffs that hang precariously in the air. You'll have a breathtaking view to think about as you fight the ferociously strong unstable wind conditions of this region while landing smack in the breathtaking scenery of the San Juan Mountains.

Pilots arriving at Catalina Airport must be cautious of the steep drop at both ends of the runway because it is carved into the adjacent hills of Avalon. Because of the airport's elevation, pilots frequently have to prepare for severe turbulence on a runway that frequently has soft areas and potholes.

Situated at the tip of Scotland's Barra island, the Barra International Airport has a very short runway that is actually... a beach! It's the only airport to have a runway that is literally a beach instead of tarmac. 

The main runway for the US Antarctic Program is aptly called the Ice Runway. However, it isn't actually a runway at all, as the flights land on a patch of snow and ice!

Svalbard Airport is the northernmost airport in the world with scheduled flights. The runways here are built directly on permanent ice! However, due to global warming and rising temperatures,, the track will soon be seriously distorted, and the airport will have to be shut down.

Although Don Mueang International Airport isn't the sole airport in Bangkok, it is still used frequently. The catch here? Well, it is situated between two golf fields and that requires quite a lot of precision from the pilot. 

Kansai International Airport is an airport located on an artificial island in the middle of Osaka Bay. The island is only 4 kilometers long and 2.5 kilometers wide, which already presents risks for any pilot landing or taking off from this airport. Besides that, the airport might eventually submerge in the ocean water, due to global warming and rising sea levels.

Cristiano Ronaldo International Airport in Madeira, Portugal, was once a real challenge for pilots to navigate. However, due to Malaga's growing popularity as a travel destination, the airport was gradually expanded. Although it is still quite small, it is no longer a hazardous place to be. Except for the harsh weather of the island, that is, which make any landing and take-off into an extreme sport. 

Only a handful of pilots in the entire globe are qualified and certified to stick the landing at Paro Airport! So, be sure to express your gratitude to your pilot after this tense trip, which included a quick 45-degree dip before touching down on the runway with no airport surveillance radar to guide the pilot.

McMurdo Station is an airport that is only available to people associated with or employed by the research facilities and is inaccessible to the general public. Flying in this snowy terrain is challenging because of the unpredictable winds that can result from its harsh weather.

This tropical Malaysian region is a volcanic island with lovely beaches, however, a flight to this beautiful location might be a little unusual! To make sure they stay on plan and land securely on the runway, the pilots undertaking this trip must fly directly to the nearby mountains and make a fast 90-degree turn. 

The second busiest airport in Brazil, Sao Paulo's Congonhas Airport, has a very slippery runway that has caused quite a few accidents. However, these days the runway is being rebuilt, accounting for the factor, so the Congonhas might not be on this list for much longer. 

Formerly known as the Rongotai Airport, Wellington International Airport serves the capital city of New Zealand. It has shorter-than-standard runways, which seem to begin and end in bodies of water! 

Since the city's central business district is so close to San Diego Airport, landings over tall structures can feel uncomfortably close. Strong winds occasionally occur on flights, which can make the journey difficult.

While the weather and surrounding environmental elements impact many hazardous airport aspects, this airport also has another threatening reason for its hazardous status. This airport could be a target for terrorist attacks given the ongoing political upheaval, such as the Syrian Civil War. The airport's main runway suffered major damage due to an Israeli bombing in 2022, forcing the closure of the Damascus International Airport for renovations. The second terminal of the airport, which had recently undergone substantial renovations, was also impacted by this attack. 

The Rocky Mountains airport, situated in a region covered in snow and renowned for its world-class ski resorts and breathtaking beauty, has its share of difficulties for aircraft. You'll be glad to step on the tarmac after a precarious flight due to high altitudes and fast wind change circumstances.

Even if there might not be any particular terrain challenges or dangerous weather conditions, this airport has a history of creating difficult circumstances for the typical flight traveler. Its history of offenses speaks for itself. This includes a $735,000 fine from 2015 for disregarding safety protocols during the snowy weather and previous fines for dangerous runway conditions.