Think turbulence is the scariest part of flying? These airports around the world will make you rethink everything you know about air travel. From runways ending at oceans or cliffs to active train tracks and shifting sands, even the most experienced pilots break a sweat landing here. Every touchdown at these airports is considered a miracle due to extreme geographic and engineering challenges.
Princess Juliana International Airport – St. Maarten: Runway ends on a beach, scaring sunbathers more than passengers.
Paro Airport – Bhutan: Surrounded by 16,000-foot Himalayas; only a handful of pilots are certified to land here.
Barra Airport – Scotland: Uses a beach as a runway; pilots must time landings with tides.
Juancho E. Yrasquin Airport – Saba Island: World's shortest commercial runway (400 m), flanked by cliffs.
Narsarsuaq Airport – Greenland: Surrounded by fjords; extreme winds and turbulence make daytime landings mandatory.
Gibraltar International Airport – Gibraltar: Runway crosses a busy city street, closing traffic for each plane.
Madeira Airport – Portugal: Short, windy runway between mountains and ocean; pilots make last-second maneuvers to avoid Atlantic plunge.
Qamdo Bamda Airport – Tibet: Formerly the world's highest airport; extreme altitude and terrain challenge pilots.
St. Barths Airport – St. Barths: Short runway ending near sunbathing tourists.
Malekene Air Strip – Lesotho, Africa: Only 1,300 feet long, ending with a 2,000-foot drop.
Ketchikan International Airport – Alaska: Short runway with heavy rain and freezing conditions.
Tenzing-Hillary Airport – Lukla, Nepal: High altitude, steep runway, surrounded by Himalayas; daytime landings only.
Courchevel Airport – France: Extremely short (1,788 ft) and steep (18.5% slope), ending in a drop.
Gisborne Airport – New Zealand: Runway crossed by an active railway; pilots must watch trains while landing.
