While most aerodromes around the world are fairly simple to land on, there are few aerodromes in the world that will challenge even the most experienced pilots and crew. These airports contain runways that require mastery for landing due their location, challenging weather conditions and short runway distances. Here are the world’s most challenging runways, where landing takes courage and is mainly used by private jet charter services.
JFK Airport -New York, USA
With so many flights and departures into this busy New York City center every day, most passengers are probably unaware of the rigors of JFK’s 13L runway, but it’s a tough one that puts a lot of pressure on the pilots. The runway is not only surrounded on 3 sides by Jamaica Bay and wet marshes, but because it requires a circular approach, it forces pilots to deal with a 1.500 ft ceiling and 5 miles of visibility.
Princess Juliana Airport -St. Maarten
The runway, which was used for military flights in the past, was not designed for intense mobility and was intended for heavy helicopter flights. With the opening of the aerodrome to civil aviation, it created a circumstance where the world’s most interesting photos were taken during the landing due to the location of the runway used. What makes this aerodrome unique is that it forces planes to fly at incredibly low altitude directly over the popular Maho Beach.
Barra Airport -Scotland
Barra Airport is located in Traigh Mhòr bay at the northern tip of the Scottish island of Barra. Not only does the short runway make it a bit dangerous, it’s also the only airport in the world where scheduled flights use a beach as a runway. In fact, Barra Airport has 3 runways arranged in a triangle on the beach. All of them are marked with permanent wooden poles, because at low tide the runways are submerged, meaning flights at this Scottish airport are scheduled according to the tides.
Gibraltar International Airport -Gibraltar
There are several factors that make Gibraltar International Airport an interesting and somewhat frustrating experience for pilots. First of all, the single runway was built just above the sea and stretches across the width of the peninsula. Pilots not only have to carefully circle around Mount Gibraltar before landing, but if they pass the runway, they’re faced with the vast sea. The other dangerous factor is that the only way to enter the city of Gibraltar is directly across the airports runway, and when an aircraft is landing or taking off, the road is blocked by railroad-type crossings.
Courchevel Airport -French Alps
Courchevel Altiport is a small airport serving the Courchevel Ski Resort in the French Alps. Vacationers may not be aware of the difficulties of this airport, but this runway is the nightmare of even the most skilled pilots. At just 537 metres, the super short runway is only suitable for helicopters and small fixed-wing aircraft, and also has a very difficult 18,6% upward slope. The short runway is not only a hazard factor, but its danger is magnified by the surrounding terrain, nearby ski slopes and jagged mountains. The last (and perhaps most frightening) factor is that this airport does not have any instrument approach procedures or runway lighting aids that make landing in foggy or snowy conditions extremely dangerous.
Ibrahim Nasir International Airport -Maldives
The aerodrome is the Maldives’ main international airport, also known as Malé International Airport. Located on Hulhulé Island, the airport has only 1 runway, which is only 2 meters above sea level and covers the entire length of Hulhulé Island. This means that a mishandling or mistake during takeoff or landing could cause the aircraft to lurch into the ocean on either side.
Gustaf III Airport -St. Bartlar
If you’ve ever been to the popular Caribbean resort island of St. Barts, you may have flown from Gustaf III Airport and not even realized its unique perils. Like Princess Juliana Airport in St. Maarten, Gustaf III (also known as Saint Barthélemy Airport) is incredibly close to a popular public beach. Planes taking off from the short runway cause vacationers sunbathing on the Baie de St. Jean beach to fly over their heads.
Telluride Regional Airport – Colorado, USA
Telluride Airport is another single-runway airport with an approach that is both stunningly beautiful and utterly frustrating. The Colorado airstrip transports skiers to high altitudes and serves many of the area’s ski destinations. Pilots are faced with the fact that the single runway is located on a plateau with a slope in the middle and there is dangerous terrain around it. At the end of the runway, a 300-meter cliff awaits the planes that couldn’t stop.
Juancho E. Yrausquin Airport -Saba, Caribbean
Among all the short runways in the world, the only airstrip at Juancho E. Yrausquin Airport is considered the shortest commercial runway in the world, with only 396 meters. This means that only very small planes and helicopters can reach the only airport on the island of Saba in the Caribbean. The runway is essentially the size of the peninsula on which it sits and there is no piece of land at the end of the runway.
Tenzing-Hillary Airport – Lukla, Nepal
Also known as Lukla Airport, Tenzing-Hillary is located in the middle of the mountains of Eastern Nepal and provides flights for adventurous travelers trekking in Kathmandu. Lukla is also the most popular starting point for climbing the Mount Everest. Tenzing-Hillary is surrounded by flight challenges; the 527 meter long runway is only suitable for helicopters and small fixed-wing aircraft. The northern end of the runway has high altitudes, while the south has a steep drop of around 600 metres, meaning there are no second chances at this airport.