EVERY airport in the world has certain standards to ensure safety when planes take off and land.
Starting from the location, the runway to the condition of the aircraft that will take off, everything has strict standards so that problems do not occur.
Despite strict safety standards, there are still several airports around the world that are said to be dangerous due to their proximity to the sea or planes having to land on runways that have been frozen due to winter.
Here are the seven most extreme airport runways in the world;
- McMurdo Airport, Antarctica
Also known as ‘The Ice’ because of the runway made of ice, this path has the potential to crack when the plane lands.
For that, pilots on duty need to be careful when landing so as not to damage the ice sheet.
If the temperature rises, it also makes it difficult for planes to take off and land because the ice melts. - Paro Airport, Bhutan
Paro Airport in Bhutan is located in a valley area surrounded by the Himalayas.
It is located 2,235 meters above sea level and is surrounded by Himalayan peaks over 8,848 meters high.
To land, pilots need to make a sharp landing to avoid one of the highest mountains in the world, and not all of them are entitled to fly at this airport. - Narsaruaq Airport, Greenland
The airport is in a cooler area and the runway is always covered in ice.
Planes are only allowed to land during the day because the strong winds at night make it dangerous.
Pilots must also be efficient when operating the aircraft while avoiding icebergs near the runway and must turn 90 degrees parallel to the windy runway. - Gibraltar International Airport
This airport is said to be the most extreme in Southern Europe because it is not only a short runway but also crosses the main roads in the city.
The runway separates Winston Churchill Avenue which is also the busiest road in Gibraltar.
When the plane is about to take off or land, this road will be closed for 10 minutes to avoid any unwanted incidents. - Madeira Airport, Portugal
Previously, the runway was only 1.6 kilometers long but this was changed to 2.7 kilometers after the Boeing 727 crashed.
The incident occurred after the plane hit a stone bridge near the airport.
Pilots also have to be good at handling aircraft when they land because they are surrounded by hills and near rocky seas.
In addition, the weather was very windy, making landing processes difficult. In 2017, the airport was renamed the Madeira Cristiano Ronaldo International Airport in honor of the Madeira-born soccer star. - Matekane Airport, Lesotho
This airport in southern Africa is only 396 meters long and 600 meters wide – making taking and landing aircraft a daunting task.
Surrounded by high mountains, changes in air pressure and strong winds made not many qualified pilots assigned to this airport. - Tenzing Airport, Lukla, Nepal
The airport is dubbed the world’s steepest runway because it is located at an altitude of 2,859 meters above sea level.
Flights and landings are only allowed during the day, weather permitting. The reason is, the path is often covered by clouds and attacked by strong winds.
If not careful, the plane could fall on the 300-meter high cliff which is also the end of the runway.
