The most dangerous airports in the world have been revealed – and one is so feared that only eight pilots are approved to land there.
In a video shared to TikTok by @spreadinggeo, it’s said that Paro Airport, in Bhutan, has the fifth most precarious landing on the planet.
The runway at Bhutan’s only international airport is completely surrounded by the Himalayas and, when landing, planes have to dive through narrow valleys with no radar.
For this reason, just 17 pilots are certified to land here, and can only do so during daylight hours, and at specific times in the afternoon during windy seasons.
Next on the list is Courchevel Altiport, which serves the ski resort in the French Alps – and is only accessible to small planes and helicopters.
Not only is the runway here on an upward slope, but it also has ski runs right next to it, no lights, and is covered in snow and ice 70 per cent of the year.
The airport has seen multiple crashes over the years due to low visibility, and planes skidding, including one in August 2021 with one fatality.
The airport that takes the third place spot is very surprising, given that it sees over 1.6 million tourists through its doors every year.
Paro Airport , in Bhutan, is completely surrounded by the Himalayas and, when landing, planes have to dive through narrow valleys with no radar
Courchevel Altiport serves the ski resort in the French Alps – and is only accessible to small planes and helicopters
Madeira is the fourth most visited region of Portugal, but the island has one of the most perilous airports in the world, due to the fact it’s built over the ocean and has very strong crosswinds.
To be able to land here, pilots must undergo additional training.
There have been four fatal plane crashes at Madeira Airport, with the most recent on 11 September 2003, when a British pilot and nine Spanish passengers died shortly after taking off.
Next up is Toncontin International, an airport in Honduras that’s completely surrounded by mountains.
To land, planes have to make a tight 45-degree turn just moments before touchdown.
According to @spreadinggeo, experienced pilots commonly say, ‘You don’t land at Toncontin, you survive it.’
The airport has seen many fatal crashes, with the most recent being in February 2011, when a Central Airways flight crashed on approach, 20km from the airport.
All 14 onboard the aircraft were killed.
Madeira is the fourth most visited region of Portugal, but the island has one of the most perilous airports in the world, due to the fact it’s built over the ocean with strong crosswinds
At Toncontin International, an airport in Honduras that’s completely surrounded by mountains, planes have to make a tight 45-degree turn just moments before touchdown
The most dangerous airport in the world is Lukla Airport – also known as Tenzing-Hillary Airport – in Nepal, a tiny airport nestled among the steep mountains of the Himalayas
The most dangerous airport in the world is Lukla Airport – also known as Tenzing-Hillary Airport – in Nepal, and passengers may have to take something strong to steady their nerves here.
The tiny airport nestled among the steep mountains of the Himalayas is 1.5 miles above sea level and surrounded by sharp peaks of up to 18,000ft tall.
So treacherous is the landing that only eight pilots in the world are qualified to land there. Until July 2011, just one airline, Druk Air, was allowed to use the facility.
The runway is just 6,500 feet long – one of the few in the world shorter than their elevation above sea level.
Planes have to weave through the dozens of houses that are scattered across the mountainside – coming within feet of clipping the roofs.
Flights are only allowed during the daytime and under visual meteorological conditions – strict light allowances in which the pilot must make his judgements by eye rather than rely on instruments, as is the case in nighttime flights.
Strong winds whip through the valleys, often resulting in severe turbulence. Passengers who have been on flights to the airport have described the landing as ‘terrifying’.
