Flying is the easiest way to travel, even with the recent quirks in security checkpoints. There’s also the chance of losing your luggage, and having to deal with hundreds of people with no sense of self while you’re thousands of feet in the air – and that’s all before you even take a seat on the plane. But what about the landing portion of the flight? The familiar beep comes over the intercom and a couple of warnings are announced as usual – except in situations where the current landing space is so unusual and intimidating that it warrants enough attention to form a list:
1. Courchevel Airport: Located in a ski resort in the French Alps, Courchevel Airport has been ranked as the seventh most dangerous airport in the world by the History Channel. It is so popularized that several YouTube videos of planes landing have been filmed in the area, with some videos garnering thousands of comments. There are no typical aids to help with landing on the runway, making landing in adverse conditions of any kind near impossible. With a runway that only runs 537 meters with no go-around procedures, professionalism from the pilot is a must.
2. Princess Juliana International Airport: Although not nearly as infamous, Princess Juliana International Airport, located on Saint Martin island in the Carribean, is best known for its teeth grating, low-altitude flyover landing approaches. Whether onlookers are terrified by how low the plane is flying or how beautiful the scenery is over the water, flights from the Princess Juliana International Airport definitely hold a reputation.
3. Paro Airport: Paro Airport is not the riskiest, but from a personnel standpoint, it’s the most mathematically challenging airport on the list. It is the only international airport available in Bhutan and currently has only eight pilots in the world certified to land there. The sharp peaks of the Himalayan Mountains require steady nerves that only few can muster. During landing, the plane also has to avoid several obstacles, both manmade and nature made, just to get to the more difficult task of landing safely on the 65,000 ft. runway. However, with the surrounding scenery and a history just as beautiful as Saint Martin, the risk for many is worth it.
4. Gibraltar International Airport: Probably the only airport in existence that is bisected by civilian traffic. In the city of Gibraltar, there is a barrier that stops traffic from crossing while planes are busy, but this is also during times where traffic itself is busy. Gibraltar International Airport is another YouTube sensation on the level of Courchevel. It’s not a busy airport, but a marvel nonetheless.
5. Tenzing-Hillary Airport: Named after the first duo to ever conquer Mount Everest, this airport is so dangerous that it doesn’t even offer pilots a mulligan if they screw up the first landing. Nepal has gorgeous mountains to see, but this comes at a price, as the airport has some of the most difficult approaches. For ratings sake, the Tenzing-Hillary Airport was ranked as the most dangerous airport by the History Channel in 2010.
