A regular flight is scary enough for some people. While planes are still one of the safest means of travel, some airports are just more challenging than others. Here are five of the most dangerous airports in the world:

1. Lukla Airport, Nepal

It is said that passengers applaud upon landing at Lukla Airport. The runway is narrow and short, and it does not help that the airport is located near a mountain. At 2,842 m, the airport is one of the highest in the world.

2. Madeira Airport, Portugal

A limited amount of pilots are qualified to fly into this airport after completing advanced training on a simulator. The airport involves coordinated efforts in spotting landmarks on approach since there is no instrument landing. The airport is also dangerous due to strong winds, high mountains on one side and the ocean on the other.

3. Courchevel International Airport, France

This airport is for Courchevel, a ski resort in the French Alps. Because of its surrounding mountainous area, the airport has a short runway of only 537 m – and it has a downhill slope of 18.5%. The airport has a go-around procedure and if there’s fog, landing is almost impossible.

4. Barra Airport, Scotland

Barra Airport has gained notoriety as one of the most dangerous airports in the world because its runway is a beach. High tide can disturb flight schedules, and sometimes cars in the parking lot have to turn their lights on to help pilots during landing.

5. McMurdo Station, Antarctica

Located in the freezing-cold Antarctic, all three runways at McMurdo Station are made of ice. During the winter, which can last for months, pilots have to land in the dark and use night vision equipment.

6. Princess Juliana Airport, St. Maarten

Maho Beach is located at the end of this runway which results in huge gusts of wind and sand for sunbathers but also offering up a perfect Instagram shot. The runway is 7,100 feet long which means that planes have to approach the runway at about 60ft above a crowded beach area.

Sources:

Cover Photo Image: https://traveltriangle.com/blog/worlds-dangerous-airports/

https://www.thejakartapost.com/travel/2019/06/06/5-most-dangerous-airports-in-the-world.html

https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/travel/destinations/why-is-the-lukla-airport-called-an-extreme-airport/as76930494.cms

The only airport in the world with a mandatory wind limit

Courchevel International Airport, Courchevel, France

https://www.tripadvisor.com/LocationPhotoDirectLink-g675088-d1009500-i100804103-Isle_of_Barra_Beach_Hotel-Isle_of_Barra_Outer_Hebrides_The_Hebrides_Scot.html

https://www.travelandleisure.com/airlines-airports/airplane-runways-antarctica-ice

https://www.viator.com/tours/St-Maarten/St-Maarten-Maho-beach-tour/d728-198496P3