The Most Unique Airports Around the World
🏝 Princess Juliana International Airport (Saint Martin)
Imagine the following: you are on the beach, drinking a cocktail, looking at the horizon, and suddenly – out of nowhere, a plane flies just a few meters above you. Well this is possible at the Princess Juliana Airport on the island of St. Martin.
The landings here are so low and dramatic that they attract aviation enthusiasts from all over the world. The runway is only 2,180 meters, which means that larger aircraft such as the Boeing 747 have to land almost immediately along the coast.
This makes the landing a real adventure attraction – for tourists, but also for the pilots themselves. Just be careful when you open the umbrella – that wind from the airplane engines can “pick up” you from the sand.
🏔 Courchevel Altiport (France)
On our list of most unique airports in the world is Courchevel – a paradise for fans of extreme winter sports, but when you see where the airport is, you will realize that this is also a real landing miracle.
The runway is only 525 meters long – yes, that’s all! In addition, it has a slope of 18.5%, which means that the landing is like riding a roller coaster with an airplane.
It is not enough that the airport is short, but it is also dangerously located between the mountains, with a narrow entrance and exit. Only pilots with special training dare to land here, because there is no room for error.
If an aircraft does not take the right angle in time during landing, or does not have sufficient speed during take-off, the consequences can be catastrophic.
But when you get here, you get a view that equals the reward – the Alps in all their grandiose beauty.
🏞 Tenzing-Hillary Airport (Nepal)
Tenzing-Hillary Airport, situated at an elevation of 2,845 meters, is famous for being close to the world’s highest peak, Mount Everest. It is also recognized as one of the most challenging landing strips in the world.
If you think the height is a problem, add the fact that the runway is only 527 meters long and is located on the edge of a mountain peak.
There’s only one direction for landing and takeoff, meaning pilots don’t have many options if things go wrong. Add the unexpected wind that often creates unpredictable turbulence, and you get real adventure aviation.
However, for travelers heading towards Mount Everest, this is only a small part of what awaits them.
🏖 Barra Airport (Scotland)
This airport is the true definition of uniqueness – Barra Airport is located in the Hebrides in Scotland and is the only one in the world where planes land and take off directly from the sand.
But there’s a catch – you can only take off and land at low tide. When the tide is high, the runway literally disappears under the water. Pilots must carefully follow the timing of the tides in order to be in tune with nature.
Although the place is small and looks idyllic, nature knows how to be merciless – especially with the winds that often push the plane in all directions.
As for travelers, this is one of the rare chances to step off the plane straight into the sand, no terminal, no crowds – just you and nature.
🌊 Madeira Airport (Portugal)
Madeira is a real unique wonder of nature, but the airport on this island is also an engineering masterpiece. When they realized that the island did not have enough flat surfaces for a runway, the engineers simply decided to build it over the ocean.
The runway is supported by more than 180 pillars that rise out of the water and hold the entire airport above the Atlantic. At 2,781 meters long, this runway is long enough to accommodate even large aircraft, but the problem isn’t the length – it’s the turbulent winds.
The landing is so unpredictable that only the most experienced pilots can manage these conditions. The view is beautiful – we just hope you don’t get too focused on the ocean that seems too close.
🏝 Kansai International Airport (Japan)
In Japan, when airport space is a problem, they simply create new land. Kansai International Airport is built on an artificial island created specifically for this purpose. This is one of the most unique airports in the world.
Engineers had to invent the island from scratch, in the middle of Osaka Bay. This was a major technological feat – and still is, given the fact that the island is constantly sinking. Every day, engineers must work to maintain the runway and terminals to prevent the airport from disappearing under water.
In addition, the region is prone to earthquakes and tsunamis, and even the very idea of building an airport here was a bold decision. But Kansai still operates today and is one of the most famous and futuristic airports in the world.
