Page 48 - World Airnews Magazine January 2020 Edition

AIRPORTS

23 MOST DANGEROUS

AIRPORTS IN THE WORLD

By Jim Dobson and David Nikel

23. LUKLA AIRPORT, NEPAL 20. SABA AIRPORT / DUTCH CARIBBEAN
Located near Mt. Everest through freezing terrain, the Lukla Airport

in Nepal is the prime airport for anyone who is visiting Mt. Everest.
Positioned between mountains with a very short runway, the landing can

be as dramatic as the ascent to the famed mountain. Sometimes there
is no electric power at the airport and the pilots need to be in constant

communication with the air controllers throughout the landing.

Positioned in the Himalayan mountains, the 9,325 feet high Tenzing
airport was named after the first two climbers that scaled Mt. Everest

and is the most popular stop for trekkers to the region. The airport is

built on the side of a mountain with a small one direction runway that
is only 1,600 feet long with serious slopes and angles. At one end of
the runway is a mountain wall and the other end is a dramatic 2,000- The world’s shortest commercially-operated runway has been rebuilt,

foot plunge into the valley. with a new concrete surface replacing the previous degraded asphalt
at Juancho E. Yrausquin Airport, on Saba, a Dutch Caribbean island.
22. TONCONTIN AIRPORT / HONDURAS Located on the island of Saba, the original King Kong movie island
lies Juancho E. Yrausquin Airport, known to have one of the world’s
shortest commercial airport runways. At only 1,300 feet long, only
well-trained pilots are allowed to fly in the area.

The approach is almost at a cliff, alongside the jagged terrain of
Saba and then a sharp bank left before an immediate landing. On my

next visit, I will be taking the ferry from neighbouring St. Maarten.
19. COURCHEVEL INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT / FRANCE
With just 1,700 feet of runway length, this airport has a downward

gradient of 18.5%. This slope makes taking off difficult and is reachable

through deep valleys where only certified pilots are allowed.

There is no second chance landing here due to the runway posi-

tion, and pilots must make it perfectly the first time. And to make

matters worse, this airport offers no lights or instrument aid so in
bad weather landing is impossible.
Due to the location next to the mountains as well as the narrow 18. WELLINGTON INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT / NEW ZEALAND

size of the runway, the landing is very complicated. Pilots are This airport features a one-lane 6,351-foot runway that appears to

forced to make a dramatic sharp turn and land near the valley, and start and end in the water. The tricky approach through the moun-

the experience is often compared to landing on an aircraft carrier. tainous area is well known for its gusty winds which make it extremely

I personally experienced the frequent wind gusts and poor difficult to manoeuvre landings. And once you disembark you can be

weather conditions that hamper the pilots as they must make a swept up by the hurricane force gusts. Good times!

direct head-on landing, with the biggest fear of having a large
aircraft overshoot the runway if not landed perfectly on target.

As we deplaned, machine gun-toting security guards greeted the 17. MCMURDO AIR STATION, ANTARCTICA

passengers which only added to our dramatic arrival.

21. PARO AIRPORT / BHUTAN
The airport in Bhutan allows only 17 qualified pilots who are autho-

rized to land on a runway that is surrounded by severe 18,000-foot
mountain peaks. The 6,500-foot runway only allows for arrivals
and departures during the daytime. The dramatic approach to the

runway is completely out of site for the pilots until the last minute

as they manoeuvre between mountains at a 45-degree angle
before dropping quickly onto the runway.

There is even a point when the bottom of the plane comes per-
ilously close to mountaintop homes on approach; one red cliffside

home is the key focal point for pilots on their approach. But when This Ice Runway is built on the bare volcanic rock of Hut Point
the passengers break into applause on landing and you walk out Peninsula on Ross Island with a runway that is made completely of
into the magnificent fresh air and temple style airport, it is well “white ice”, (four inches of compacted snow.)

worth the adventure. The Ice Runway is used by the US Antarctic Program through the
World Airnews | January 2020
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