Madeira Airport, among the most spectacular (and dangerous) airports in the world

The unparalleled beauty of the Island of Madeira makes it a place of wonder and it is definitely listed in lots of tops. Here is a less known top which was made by Madeira Airport, among the most spectacular (and dangerous) airports in the world.

The Portuguese airport of Madeira – also popularly known as Funchal Airport – has been infamous for its degree of danger entailed in making a safe landing. The airport was rebuilt in 2000, but before that, the runway only measured 1600 meters and had one sole approach. Set in an idyllic landscape, between steep hills and the immense Atlantic Ocean, the Airport of Madeira made passengers (and pilots) hold their breath – for more than one reason, if you know what I mean. Now, the runway is almost twice as big, but landing here still remains a challenge even for an experienced pilot.

The top most spectacular (and dangerous) airports in the world also includes airports in Spain, France, Nepal and… Antarctica.

The Ice Runway in Antarctica is basically a stretch of icy snow with no pavement, just an airstrip supplying the McMurdo Station in Antarctica. As you might imagine, landing here is every other pilot’s nightmare.

As if it hadn’t enjoyed enough publicity before, Hollywood has made the Carribbean Islands even more popular, so lots of people are bound to land on Princess Juliana International Airport in the Eastern Caribbean… hopefully, safely. With a runway measuring only a bit above 2000 meters, pilots must fly very low over Maho Beach to land safely.

An amazing proof that there are no lengths to how… complicated things can get when building an airport is the Gibraltar International Airport. Here, the runway intersects with the Winston Churchill Avenue, the main road that leads to the Spanish border. This is a nightmare for the traffic, as the road must be closed whenever a plane takes off or lands.

But once you have safely landed at Madeira Airport, you will need to take a breath of air and take a Madeira airport transfer to get to your destination, so keep that in mind as well!

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