World's 10 most dangerous airports

New Delhi: A lot of people have some nerves when it comes to flying. But after knowing about the Himalayan airport that brings climbers up to the Everest trail has everyone thinking about just how scary an airport can get.According to the majority of pilots, takeoff and landing are the most dangerous aspects of a flight.Still, some conditions are riskier than others—but it seems that all the mountain peaks, cliff faces, crowded beaches, and main roads on our list, haven't managed to discourage the brave pilots who navigate them every day.So, let's have a look now at the most extreme and hazardous airports around the world: 1. Gibraltar Airport, GibraltarThe runway of Gibraltar Airport runs almost along the border with Spain. The main road, heading towards the border with Spain, intersects the airport runway. The road has to be closed every time a plane lands or departs. The only 1,800 meter long runway makes it even more difficult to land or depart from the airport. 2. Madeira Airport, Portugal Madeira is a small island far off the coast of Portugal, which makes an airport that is capable of landing commercial-size aircraft vital to its development. This airport's original runway was only about 5000 feet long, posing a huge risk to even the most experienced pilots and limiting imports and tourism. 3. Tenzing-Hillary Airport, Nepal This small airport near Lukla in eastern Nepal is the gateway to Mount Everest and therefore very popular among climbers. The first adrenaline rushes will already be experienced during landing. The airport is located at 2,860 meters altitude and has a runway of only a few hundred meters. The airport is only accessible for helicopters and short-takeoff-and-landing airplanes. 4. Toncontin International Airport, Honduras In Tegucigalpa, the capital city of Honduras, we can fly into one of the most dangerous and notorious airports in the world. The airport opened back in 1934, an era when planes were less powerful and didn't require such lengthy runways. Toncontin's runway is just over seven thousand feet long, and it's situated in a valley surrounded by mountains. What's even harder to believe is that there's only one way in and one way out for the planes, which increases the risk dramatically. 5. Barra International Airport, Scotland Takeoffs and landings at Barra Airport occur on the same sand that people can stroll along during airport off-hours. During high tide in the evening, the illumination from the lights of all the cars passing by assist the pilot with his landing. Barra is still an officially recognized international airport by the Air Traffic Organization, and it seems like any kind of logical or critical suggestion would be deemed irrelevant by the authorities. 6. Courchevel Airport, France Getting to the iconic ski resort of Courchevel requires navigating the formidable French Alps before making a hair-raising landing at Courchevel International Airport. The runway is about 1700 feet long, but the real surprise is the large hill toward the middle of the strip. 7. Ice Runway, Antarctica The Ice Runway is one of three major airstrips used to haul supplies and researchers to Antarctica's McMurdo Station. As its name implies, there are no paved runways here—just long stretches of ice and snow that are meticulously groomed. There is no shortage of space on the Ice Runway, so super-size aircraft like the C-130 Hercules and the C-17 Globemaster III can land with relative ease. The real challenge is making sure that the weight of the aircraft and cargo doesn't bust the ice or get the plane stuck in soft snow. 8. Gustaf III Airport, Saint Barthélemy The small airport of Gustaf III, on the Caribbean island of Saint Barthélemy, provides pilots and passengers alike with some fairly grave dangers. The corridor in which the runway has been built is incredibly narrow, and planes come frighteningly close to hitting the slopes of the adjacent upland area, or plummeting into the ocean, every time they land. 9. Qamdo Bamda Airport, Tibet Qamdo Bamda Airport is the world's highest airport, perched more than 14,000 feet above sea level. Even more impressive than the airport's altitude, however, is the nearly 3.5-mile-long runway. At sea level, where the approach speed is about 150mph, it may take five thousand feet of runway to stop. But at more than fourteen thousand feet above sea level, the same approach speed will require around twice as runway to bring a plane to a halt. 10. Juancho E. Yrausquin Airport, Saba Island Getting to this amazingly beautiful Caribbean island can be a bit distressing, thanks to a mere 1300-foot-long runway—only slightly longer than most aircraft carrier runways. The incredibly short runway is surrounded by tall cliffs, and it comes dangerously close to a steep slope which leads directly to the ocean. For these reasons, it is one of the most dangerous airports in the world. Large planes avoid this airport for obvious reasons, but even for a very small aircraft landing seems to be a difficult mission.

World's 10 most dangerous airports

New Delhi: A lot of people have some nerves when it comes to flying. But after knowing about the Himalayan airport that brings climbers up to the Everest trail has everyone thinking about just how

More From World

Diwali lights up US Pacific Northwest, governors and mayors hail Indian-Americans | VIDEO

'On our terms': Texas Governor-elect warns Musk as she vows to protect citizens from data centres

US Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon resigns; first Trump ally to quit after midterms

US to resume strikes on Iran? Trump's post-midterm security huddle triggers concerns

Meet Nithya Raman: The Kerala-born Democrat who would be Los Angeles' first South Asian mayor

Top News

Karnataka claims E20 contains over 30% ethanol, minister cites lab tests; compensation sought

Election Commission provides fresh opportunity to deleted voters in 7 states to join final rolls

GRAP-III restrictions imposed across Delhi-NCR as air quality deteriorates ahead of Diwali

CBSE 10th, 12th exam 2027 from February 16; check date sheet