Whether you’re a nervous flyer or not, a bumpy take-off or landing on a flight is hardly a calming experience. However, there are some airport runways that can be nerve-wracking not just for passengers, but pilots and cabin crew too. Whether it’s a short runway that ends with a cliff edge down to a beach, or an approach in notoriously high winds that mean pilots aren’t able to fly there unless they’ve had specialist training, there are some pretty intense airport runways out there.
They’re not necessarily in far-flung, remote tropical islands either; they can be found in popular holiday spots across Europe and Asia, with one being less than a 4-hour flight from the UK.
We take a look at seven runways around the world that are definitely not for the faint-hearted…
Cristiano Ronaldo Airport, Madeira
Picture a short runway, that’s partially a bridge, right by some rocky mountains, with a climate notorious for high winds. It’s therefore no surprise that pilots are required to undergo specialist training to be allowed to land or take off at Madeira’s airport. The runway itself is quite short, with both ends on the edge of the water – so one miscalculation could mean landing on the beaches below.
Back in 1977, a Boeing 727 overran the airport’s runway and crashed into the nearby beach, killing 131 people. Following the tragedy, authorities had the runway extended not once but twice. The current length is about 9,000ft, with the runway more than capable of handling commercial jets.
(Image: Getty)
Paro airport, Bhutan
Tucked away in the middle of a valley, surrounded by the Himalayan peaks, this runway is one of the world’s most difficult for pilots. The runway is a mere 7,431ft long, and can be accessed on a flight path that’s steep and winding through the mountains, not to mention it’s often only visible within a few seconds of touching down. Radar guidance isn’t guaranteed, so pilots need to be able to perform all landings manually; it’s estimated that only around 50 pilots in the world are certified to fly there.
(Image: Getty)
This story originally appeared on Express.co.uk
