Svalbard Airport is built on permafrost
Svalbard Airport is no less than built on permafrost, being extremely scary and an engineering marvel at the same time. It is located in Norway’s Arctic archipelago, the runway is 8,000-foot (2438 mt) and it’s built right on…ice.
Of course, culverts under the runways are the ones that allow water to run from the mountain. Also, the runway has no signal lights, so flights are only permitted during the daytime. This might not seem like such a problem, but if you think about it, during winter, the sun doesn’t even rise there.
The airport was completely built on permafrost with the runway somehow insulated against the ground, so it won’t melt during the summer. While its safety record is amazing, its location as one of the world’s northernmost airports makes the flights a bit challenging for any pilot out there.
9 thoughts on “8 Scariest Airports in the World”
I flew 20 yrs. Ago, not because I wanted to but because I had to !!!! & It took ALOT for me to get through it !! Luckily they were short flights , less than 2 hrs. After that I never flew again & NEVER WILL !!! I HATE FLYING !!!
Thanks for the heads up! Will not consider flying to those destinatitons in my lifetime.
What???? San Diego’s Lindberg Field isn’t included?
You are so right! I live in San Diego. I landed on a United flight here in the nineties so hard that trays and other items fell onto the floor in the galley. The absolute worst landing I have ever had into San Diego. Oh yes I forgot to mention the buildings you fly in between. The running joke “We could see what people were eating at Mr. A’s.”
Terrific airport—magnificent landing views. Got some of my best pics out the window of the plane while it was landing. Wouldn’t hesitate to go to Telluride again (sigh) don’t quite have the cash, though!
Joe has done just about everything possible to destroy this country
You missed Paro Airport in Thimphu, Bhutan. So difficult only like 4 pilots are authorized to land there.
as a passenger the 3 NY metro airports are the scariest. Between JFK, LaGuardia and Newark,(nt to mention Teterboro) that’s a lot of airplanes that air traffic control has to keep from bumping into each other
Why are these airports allowed to be built???