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Air travel is considered to be one of the safest ways of public transportation but yet there are a few exceptions. If you have ever wondered how airports make money, the bet for those ten airports can be that they do it by scaring passengers. And while in Japan the Narita National Airport is ready to open a temporary runway to welcome the additional traffic during the 2020 Summer Olympics, these airports below are permanently in use, despite being one of the most dangerous in the world.

All of the three runways the airport operates are underwater at high tide

10. Barra Airport, Scotland

This is the only airport that has a beach runway used for scheduled flights. Barra Airport is situated on the bay of Traigh Mhòr on the island of Barra, Scotland and has an elevation of only five feet above sea level. Practically, this means that the runway can be used only when the tide is out. All of the three runways the airport operates are underwater at high tide. Flights operated by British Airways can land only in given hours. During the night, the runway is illuminated by means of vehicle lights and reflective strips placed on the beach.

9. Lukla Airport, Nepal

If you want to experience Mt. Everest you need to land on Lukla Airport in Nepal, which is one of the most dangerous airports in the world. The difficulty for the pilots comes from the fact that the runway is one of the shortest and it is nestled between the mountains. There are no lights, no traffic control on site, and electric power is restricted. As a whole, pilots depend on excellent weather conditions in order to be able to land. To make things even worse, Lukla Airport is one of the highest airports that serve passenger flights.

8. Courchevel International Airport in France

France can boast about this airport with the shortest runway in the world. Courchevel International Airport has a runway with a length of only 525 meters (1722 feet), which on top of that is paved and has a gradient of 18.5%. These conditions make it extremely difficult for pilots to take off. In case the aircraft cannot gather sufficient speed to take off, it simply “falls off” a cliff and passengers hope for the best. Landing is also a challenge since the aircraft needs to navigate through a narrow valley in the Alps to prepare for descent.

In case the aircraft cannot gather sufficient speed to take off, it simply “falls off” a cliff and passengers hope for the best

7. Toncontin Airport, Tegucigalpa, Honduras

Mountain airports are particularly challenging and Toncontin Airport is no exception. In order to land, the plane needs to make a 45-degree bank turn through a valley to reach the runway. Then, it needs to reduce its altitude quite rapidly and land carefully without scraping the terrain. The high altitude is the factor that places Toncontin Airport among some of the most dangerous airfields in the world.

6. Marine Corps Air Station Futenma, Okinawa

Marine Corps Air Station (MCAS) Futenma, Okinawa is referred to as the most dangerous air station in the world but not for commercial flights. This reference is used by the Navy and the Marine Corps. They have to operate their tactical aircraft in all kinds of weather and to make things even more dangerous, their aircraft fly over 3,000 people living in the so-called “clear zone”. Instead of free space, the Corps has to fly over schools, hospitals and city offices.

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5. Damascus International Airport

What makes Damascus International Airport one of the super dangerous fields in the world are actually no problems with its terrain, elevation or the weather. The problem with the Syrian capital airfield is the ongoing civil war. It is a territory that is most wanted by all of the parties and is often claimed by the Syrian Army, ISIS or other rebel fractions. The Syrian Airlines that operate two daily commercial flights – to Moscow and Beirut, need to be aware of surface-to-air-missiles and cope with Russian, Turkish and American fighter aircraft while flying.

4. Paro Airport, Bhutan

Paro Airport is located in the Himalayan Mountains at 7,300 feet above sea level. It is surrounded by extremely high peaks (some of up to 18,000 feet in height) and is on the banks of the river Paro Chu. Because of the severe terrain and adverse weather conditions, the airport is used only in daylight hours when there are excellent meteorological conditions. It is no wonder that only 25 pilots are qualified to land there.

3. Madeira Airport

Despite that Madeira is quite a popular destination, you need a bit of courage to fly to this airport. The short airport runway was nearly doubled in 2000 to reach 9,124 feet, however, the extension is supported by 180 columns, which are in the ocean. Thus, you have a platform upon 230-feet tall columns that have to withstand the notorious variable winds. Add the rocky cliffside around the runway and you can realize why Madeira Airport makes it to the top 10 most dangerous airfields.

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2. Princess Juliana International Airport in St. Maarten

This airport is particularly famous for the public beach that is situated just before the runway. While pilots need to be careful not to hit a beach visitor, they also need to pay attention to the length of the runway. While 2,179 meters may not seem that little, the fact is that Princess Juliana International Airport is visited mainly by large aircraft, such as the A340s and Boeing 747s, which need at least 2,500 meters to land safely.

1. Narsarsuaq Airport, Greenland

Airports in cold places like Antartica are particularly dangerous because of the constant ice cover. The short length of only 1,800 meters combined with slick ice canvass and stormy weather that causes turbulence and low visibility make the Narsarsuaq Airport perhaps the most unpleasant airport both for flight crew and passengers. The strong winds can divert the plane off course. On top of all the cold, there is also a nearby active volcano that erupts quite often with the cascading ash damaging the engines of the aircraft. With all these difficulties and the fact that time is also to be taken into account when landing, Narsarsuaq Airport can be deemed the most dangerous airport in the world.

So, next time when you consider some cheap flights, check very careful which is the airport that you are going to take off or land at.