NIGHTMARE AIRPORTS

DAMMAM KING FAHD INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT,

SAUDI ARABIA

King Fahd International is the largest airport in the world in

terms of landmass, sprawling over three hundred square miles of desert.

The airport is so enormous that, believe it or not, it often makes it

difficult for the pilots to predict with any accuracy where the airport begins

and ends since from a distance it all looks like it blends in seamlessly with

the surrounding desert.

CLEVELAND HOPKINS INTERNATIONAL, USA

Technically there’s nothing wrong with the location or

construction of this airport but the dangers in this case mainly have

to do with the irresponsible staff working there. A controller working

an overnight shift was once suspended for watching a DVD while he

was supposed to be directing air traffic. And if that wasn’t bad enough

for the airport’s reputation, a supervisor once complained about the

controllers on night shifts routinely taking naps during breaks and

playing electronic games when traffic was light.

WELLINGTON INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT,

NEW ZEALAND

Landings in this airport can be really hazardous and how

couldn’t they when all this airport has to offer is a single and very

short runway that begins and ends in crystal blue waters. Despite

being a very dangerous place to land a plane, its scenic, rare beauty

makes it one of the most beautiful, as well as dangerous,

airports in the world.

LOS ANGELES INTERNATIONAL, USA

According to Travel + Leisure, Los Angeles International is

the venue for what the FAA calls an “ongoing intensive outreach program”

to educate pilots, controllers, and vehicle operators on best practices,

proper procedures, situational awareness, and other aspects of runway safety.

Additionally, Los Angeles International has been ranked multiple times

throughout the years as the most dangerous airport in the US.

AGATTI AERODROME, LAKSHADWEEP, INDIA

This airport is surrounded by nothing but the Indian Ocean which,

of course, makes you wonder what will happen if something goes

wrong during landing or if the pilot needs more space to take off.

The 4,000-foot-long Agatti Aerodrome is so arbitrary and small that

it literally looks like a piece of a larger runway that was lost at sea somehow.

Because of the danger the short runway presents, there have been many

suggestions and proposals to extend it, but in the meantime, flights

continue to operate normally since this airport is the only one in

Lakshadweep, an Indian Union Territory consisting of thirty-six

gorgeous exotic islands.

SAVANNAH/HILTON HEAD INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT,

USA

We will admit that in this case we might be cheating a bit since

this airport is nowhere near as dangerous as the rest on this list

but something really macabre and bizarre happens there. If you

ever find yourself taxiing along Runway 10 at Savannah/Hilton Head you

may catch a glimpse of something so spooky that it will definitely give

you the chills. See, embedded in Runway 10’s tarmac you will find a pair

of grave markers that belong to the previous owners of the land

upon which the airport now sits, as to be buried there was their

wish before they died.

NARSARSUAQ AIRPORT, GREENLAND

Landing at this naturally beautiful airport and one of the most

remote on the planet, can be either an amazing or horrific experience,

unforgettable in any case. For the pilots, however, it is doubtless a bit

of a nightmarish experience since the approach for landing there

involves flying up a fjord while the threat of severe turbulence and

wind shear makes things worse, even on the seemingly

calmest days of the year.

KANSAI INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT, JAPAN

Kansai’s artificial island is 2.5 miles long and 1.6 miles wide,

so large that it’s rumoured that it is visible from space.

From an engineering point of view the airport there is one of the

most impressive in the world but unfortunately the frequent earthquakes,

powerful cyclones, and unstable seabed make this engineering

masterpiece one of the most dangerous airports as well.

DON MUEANG INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT, THAILAND

This is a “deceiving” airport where, on a first look, you see

nothing unusual about it since it appears just like every

other midsize, safe airport in the world. However, if you pay closer

attention you will notice the weirdest thing ever: right in the middle

of the two runways someone had the brilliant idea to set an eighteen-hole

golf course, a fact that makes this airport not only a dangerous

place for golfers, but one of the most bizarre airports out there, too.