Many travelers prefer to travel around the planet by plane, which means that the first thing they see in a new country is the airport. We bring to your attention the top 6 unusual airports in the world, which are themselves a striking attraction worth visiting. In them, miracles begin right behind the plane's window!
Lukla Airport, Nepal
Lukla Airport is located not far from Everest, so brave guys fly from Kathmandu with impatient eyes and heavy backpacks, aiming to conquer the highest peak in the world. However, dangers await them already at the airport itself.
This air harbor, located at an altitude of 2860 meters above sea level, is considered one of the most difficult landings and takeoffs in the world. It accepts only small airplanes and helicopters, which land only in daylight and only in perfect weather.
There is only one runway at the airport. Its length is 527 meters. The engineers laid it at a slope of 12%, so only aces who have flown here at least 10 times as trainees in a company with other experienced pilots can land on it.
This precaution will seem justified if you see the runway itself with your own eyes. One edge of it abuts against a gorge 700 meters deep, the other is located at the foot of a high mountain.
Difficulties during takeoff and landing are also added by the lack of navigation devices: only a radio station is available at the airport.
The history of Lukla Airport is also unique:
- initially they wanted to build the airport on land occupied by fields, but local peasants rebelled;
- in 1964, Edmund Hillary, the first to climb Everest, approved the current site for the construction of the airport;
- to align it, several local Sherpas were hired to dance, trampling them with bare feet (the Sherpas were given only a couple of bottles of alcohol for help);
- until 2001 the runway was unpaved.
Gibraltar Airport, UK
Experienced tourists differ in their opinions about Gibraltar - a piece of Great Britain in the middle of Spain. Someone thinks that you should definitely visit here, others believe that Gibraltar is not much different from the neighboring Spanish town of La Linea de la Concepción. Many travelers enter Gibraltar by land, but there are also some who fly here. This is especially true for tourists from the UK and Morocco.
It is worth flying to Gibraltar to land proudly on the original 1829 meter long runway crossed by a real motorway. Before the plane lands, it is blocked, and all drivers wait patiently in an honorary escort until the airliner touches the ground with its wheels. And the police are in the cordon.
Gibraltar Airport is considered a military air hub, which is also used for receiving and departing civil flights.
Barra Airport, UK
The Isle of Barra, part of the Hebrides in Scotland, is famous for its airport, which sometimes closes due to weather conditions. The fact is that the local beach on the shores of Trai More Bay is used here as runways. All the work of the airport is subject to the schedule of ebb and flow, because often the island simply loses three of its runways, which go under water.
Because of these inconveniences, the airport on the Isle of Barra is considered to be quite dangerous. Planes are accepted here only during the daytime. If the weather is odd, and this happens often here, then the landing site is indicated with the help of car headlights and reflective tapes.
Large airliners at Barra Airport will not be able to land, so only 20-seater planes are allowed to land. Barra has daily flights to Glasgow.
Daocheng Yadin Airport, China
In eastern Tibet, which is now part of China, near the city of Daocheng, there is Yadin Airport, which has been operating since 2013. Previously, it took 2 days to get from the capital of the region to the remote city of Daocheng. The trip was carried out by cars and was considered not very pleasant because of the many steep serpentines.
After the opening of Yadin Airport, Daocheng can be reached in an hour. This airport is considered the highest in the world. It was built on a plateau 4411 meters high. There was a suitable flat spot for him, so there were no difficulties during the development of the runway.
Any type of aircraft can land at Yadin Airport. Mostly tourists come here who are interested in the natural beauty of the Yadin reserve, located 130 km from the airport, and Buddhist sacred places - 3 lakes and 3 peaks.
Everyone who visits Yadin Airport has the opportunity to look into the terminal, which in its shape resembles a flying saucer and looks very futuristic.
Kerkyra Airport, Greece
One of the Ionian Greek islands, Kerkyra, which is also sometimes called Corfu, received its airport in 1937. In those early days, it was used by the military. Only after tourists went to Kerkyra, the island's authorities decided to transform it into a civil aviation hub.
There is only one runway at the Kerkyra airport. Its length is 2373 meters. It was built on an elongated piece of land, surrounded on almost all sides by the sea. When landing, passengers freeze in their seats in horror, because it seems as if the plane is descending directly into the water.
The runway abuts against the highway, which is used for its intended purpose. Traffic lights are installed at the intersection of the road with the runway. There will always be a red light on while the plane is landing or taking off.
Courchevel Airport, France
The popular ski resort in France has its own airport with a single runway. Its length is slightly more than half a kilometer, and it is located at an inclination of 18.5 degrees, so only small planes are allowed to land here.
Only experienced pilots can land in Courchevel. In fog, the airport is closed, because the strip for takeoffs and landings is not equipped with illumination.
Another feature of the Courchevel airport is the lack of passport control. Therefore, foreigners who fly to Europe on visas will have to get to the resort through other air gates of France or neighboring countries.
