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The World's Scariest Runways

 

Princess Juliana International Airport
St. Maarten

Who Flies There: All major U.S. airlines, as well as Paris-based charter carrier Corsairfly, KLM Royal Dutch Airlines, and a handful of regional operators.

Why It’s Harrowing: The length of the runway—just 7,152 feet—is perfectly fine for small or medium-size jets, but as the second-busiest airport in the Eastern Caribbean, it regularly welcomes so-called heavies—long-haul wide-body jetliners like Boeing 747’s and Airbus A340’s—from Europe, which fly in improbably low over Maho Beach and skim just over the perimeter fence.

 

Comments (28)

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  • Toncontin Airport at Honduras

    Toncontin is not at scary. I fly to Tegucigalpa couple time per year and the runway used to be short, within the last couple years they add more than a 1000 feet. So you will need to correct the 6112 feet that you are talking about. Now the length is 7096 feet making it an average length. The only thing that may be scary is the braking of the plane when touching the run way. Still I dont think this airport is one of the most scariest and dangerous airports in the world. It may be in the top ... Read More

  • RE: Toncontin Airport at Honduras
  • Madeira's runaway is not scary at all!!!

    I strongly suggest that you take the first flight to Madeira and see for yourself how stupid is what you have written here. Indeed, landing in Madeira is NOT SCARY AT ALL and I just wished there weren't so many ignorant fools out there writing articles about stuff that they don't know nothing about.

    • judgelog — Posted Feb. 01, 2010

      As a private pilot of 27 years I have flown into Madiera and it is indeed a white knuckle experience. It is not a trivial matter to bank a large plane on approach like that. I wish there weren't so many ignorant fools out there writing comments about stuff they know nothing about.

    • RE: Madeira's runaway is not scary at all!!!
  • RE: Madeira's runaway is not scary at all!!!
  • St. Thomas, U.S.V.I

    Probably one of the scariest landings I've ever experienced was in St. Thomas in the Virgin Islands. The airstrip is short and, when you're looking out the side window of an aircraft it looks like you're just going to land on the water, then at the last second the runway appears!

  • RE: St. Thomas, U.S.V.I
  • Moscow, Boston, Sydney and San Francisco

    It is my experience that the scariest landings I have had have been, from least to most........Moscow; you are flying so low for like an hour over pine trees, which, if the window was open, I could cut and use for Xmas if I so chose.....Boston; all water and no land to see and you are flying so low, once again, I cold reach out and scoop some water out of Boston Harbor before, out of the blue, when inches above water, you are on the ground, without seeing the runway! The same go for Sydney an... Read More

    • lalagal — Posted Jan. 06, 2010

      SFO ain't no thang. And in San Diego, you drop from the city, right into the landing. Maybe you need a stiff drink before you land, or to just not look out the window...

    • RE: Moscow, Boston, Sydney and San Francisco
  • RE: Moscow, Boston, Sydney and San Francisco
  • JFK 13 L

    JFK 13 L is on the other side of the airport. There's not a thing nailbiting about a straight-in landing on 4R which is what you show, although it is a bit unusual, most of the time flights land from the east, in which case the runway is 4L.

  • RE: JFK 13 L
  • Santos Dumont airport

    i really think the Santos Dumont airport in Rio De Janeiro, Brazil should be on this list. at least in top 10. just my opinion.

    • Pepe — Posted Jan. 14, 2010

      And why not add Congonhas Airport in São Paulo? Flying in between the high-rising blocks of flats and onto a short runway which is partly a bridge across a highway is a sobering experience.

    • RE: Santos Dumont airport
  • RE: Santos Dumont airport
  • Madeira not scary

    Love the article. So many travelers want to know what's going to stress them out when landing in a new locale. So this provides some useful information with a comprehensive list of airports. But I do disagree with the Madeira listing. Though its location may present some logistical issues for pilots, I didn't find it scary in the least. I found landing in Telluride, CO much scarier.
    Jeanine
    www.jthetravelauthority.com

  • RE: Madeira not scary
  • Dutch Harbor and Lukla

    I've landed at Dutch Harbor and Lukla and I remember Dutch being the scarier of the two. Maybe it was the feeling the plane was going to fall apart any minute.

  • RE: Dutch Harbor and Lukla
  • Carnasie Approach JFK

    The Carnasie approach is to runway 13 L or R, not ,as shown, to 04R runway which is a simple long straight ILS approach to a long runway.

  • RE: Carnasie Approach JFK
  • Scary runways around the world.

    Has anyone ever been to the Faroe Islands. That runway can scare the hell out of anyone. Check it out.

    They have actually had accidents happen there with planes crashing into mountain sides due to foggy weather coming up suddenly, and the runway is so short they have to use the entire length to stop the plane. Inflight is through a Fiord and they have to hit the edge of the runway or go round once more.

  • RE: Scary runways around the world.

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