PERILOUS AIRPORTS

COURCHEVEL ALTIPORT, FRANCE

Perched at a height of over 2,000 metres (almost 6,600ft),

the Courchevel Altiport is an airport serving Courchevel, a ski

resort in the French Alps. Apart from being exposed to the

harsh mountain weather and frequent fogs, the airport is also

notorious for a very short runway (537 metres or 1,762ft)

with a hill in the middle of it.

BARRA AIRPORT, SCOTLAND

Operated by Highlands and Islands Airports Limited, a Scottish

airline company, the Barra Airport is the only airport in the world

to use a beach as the runway. The beach is set out with three

runways in a triangle, marked by permanent wooden poles. As the

runways get flooded with the tide, the flight times vary accordingly.

CATALINA AIRPORT, CALIFORNIA, US

Catalina Airport is a privately owned airport located 10 km (6 miles)

northwest of the central business district of Avalon, California

 in the middle of Catalina Island. The airport is open to the

public and allows general aviation aircraft to land there but

usually, only experienced pilots fly there as the airport’s

short runway ends with a steep drop off.

QAMDO BAMDA AIRPORT, CHINA

Also known as Changdu Bangda Airport, the Qamdo Bamda

Airport is an airport serving Qamdo, the third largest city in Tibet.

Located at an incredible height of 4,334m (14,219ft), it used

to be the world´s highest airport until 2013. The extreme

altitude can make passengers feel dizzy and even the planes

engines may not perform as well as they usually do.

PARO AIRPORT, BHUTAN

Another airport found high up in the Himalayas, the Paro

Airport is the only international airport in Bhutan. With

surrounding peaks as high as 5,500 metres (18,000ft), the

Paro Airport is considered one of the world’s most challenging

airports.  In fact, only a few pilots in the world have been

certified to land at this airport.

TUFI AIRPORT, PAPUA NEW GUINEA

Serving Tufi, a coastal town located on the peninsula of 

Cape Nelson in Oro Province, Papua New Guinea, the Tufi

Airport is a little airport operated by PNG Airlines. Currently

featuring just a short dirt runway, the airport has ambitions to

become an international airport connecting Papua New Guinea

with Australia.

AGATTI AERODROME, INDIA

Located on the southern end of the Agatti Island some 460 km

(285 mi) off the west coast of India, the Agatti Aerodrome

is the only airport on the archipelago. Surrounded by the

Indian Ocean’s crystal clear waters, it has just one tiny asphalt

runway which can be a nightmarish experience for even the

most practiced pilots.

SANDANE AIRPORT, NORWAY

Wedged between two massive fjords, the Sandane Airport is a 

regional airport serving the town of Sandane in Norway. Apart from

the unfavourable geographical location, planes using this

airport have to deal with gusty winds and severe turbulences,

which makes the Sandane Airport one of the most feared

airports in Europe.