Airports with the most terrifying and short runways

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Juancho E Yrausquin Airport, Saba. Located on the Dutch Caribbean island of Saba, Juancho E Yrausquin Airport has the shortest runway in the world available for commercial use on the island of Saba in the Caribbean area. The runway is only 400 metres long. It is flanked on one side by high hills, with cliffs that drop into the sea at both ends. It only allows regional propeller aircraft flights provided by Winair from nearby islands. Image Credit: Shutterstock

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The aircraft on the runway of the Tenzing-Hillary airport Lukla - Nepal. A popular starting point for those climbing Mount Everest. Tenzing-Hillary Airport has a 1,729ft ( 526 metres) long runway with a large drop at the south end into the valley below. Image Credit: Shutterstock

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Toncontin International Airport in Tegucigalpa, Honduras. The Toncontín airport runway is 2,163m long. The airport was built at an elevation of 1,005m. Due to the location next to the mountains as well as the narrow size of the runway, the landing is very complicated. Pilots are forced to make a dramatic sharp turn and land near the valley. Image Credit: istock

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Warning sign near the runway of Helgoland-Dune Island (Germany). The warning is about low flying aeroplanes. Heligoland Airport is located on the German island of Düne, approximately 70km from the mainland in the North Sea. Its runway is 1,575ft long ( 480 metres) Image Credit: Shutterstock

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kiathos Alexandros Papadiamantis Airport on the island of Skiathos, Greece. Its 5,341-foot (1628m ) runway is able to accommodate aircraft up to the size of a Boeing 757-200. The runway is characterised as 'short and narrow' because of the uneven terrain on the island of Skiathos. Image Credit: Shutterstock

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Madeira International Airport in Portugal. The narrow runway is not only short; it's often a site of strong winds and turbulence. On either side of the runway are rocky hills and after the airport, it's a straight drop into the ocean. Image Credit: Shutterstock

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The beach at Maho Bay is one of the world's premier planespotting destinations. Aeroplanes landing at the Princess Juliana Airport, St. Maarten , fly over beachgoers. Maho public beach is located at the end of this runway which results in huge gusts of wind and sand for sunbathers but also offering up a perfect picture. The runway is 2,164 metre long, and planes must approach over the water at an extremely low altitude appearing to be just feet above the heads of the public. Image Credit: Shutterstock

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Congonhas Airport, Sao Paulo, Brazil. Located just five miles from a city centre, Sao Paulo's Congonhas Airport is highly challenging to pilots because of the runway's close proximity to high-rise buildings. The airport has also been troubled by slippery runways. Image Credit: Shutterstock

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Saint Barthelemy Airport, also known as Gustaf III Airport, is a public-use airport located in the village of St. Jean on the Caribbean island of St. Barths. It is considered one of the most dangerous airports in the world because pilots have to descend steeply down over a hilltop on to an extremely short runway that ends on the beach. Image Credit: Shutterstock

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View of the Gibraltar International Airport and the harbour area. Gibraltar International Airport (formerly North Front Airport) serves as the air transport link to the city of Gibraltar. The airport is located at the centre of Gibraltar and serves around 300,000 passengers per annum. The length of the runway is 1800 metres. Image Credit: Shutterstock

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Jetstar aeroplane at Wellington airport, New Zealand. This airport features a one-lane 1,935-metre runway that appears to start and end in the water. Image Credit: istock

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A Pilatus PC12 during a dangerous landing where it has touched down before the runway at Courchevel Airport, France. Serving the ski resort in the French Alps, Courchevel Airport has a 1,762-ft-long runway and is mainly used by helicopters, as well as small fixed-wing aircraft. The runway is on a mountain at an elevation of 2,008m. Image Credit: Shutterstock

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