London Heathrow Airport

Passengers annually: 69.4 million.

Advantages: even though London mayor Boris Johnson thinks this airport “gives a terrible impression of Britain to tourists,” it still managed to get into the Skytrax top 10.

The third busiest in 2011, this airport won in the Best Shops and Best Terminal categories. The 19-year design and construction of the T5 terminal, which opened in 2008, cost about $6.2 billion.

Heathrow received 4 to 5 stars on the Skytrax star rating system for ease of use of the airport, available flight information, public transportation, efficiency of airport staff and more.

Vancouver International Airport.

Passengers annually: 18 million.

Advantages: It is the least congested airport of all 10 award winners and is famous for its Canadian Pacific Coast Folk Art Museum.

This is the fourth year in a row that Vancouver Airport has been named the best airport in North America and is well worth the money invested in its expansion (about $1.4 billion). The quality of airport staff is also praised. Volunteers in green uniforms help tourists navigate the airport building.

Zurich airport.

Passengers annually: 24.8 million.

Advantages: Zurich airport is the largest and busiest international airport in Switzerland. In 2003 the airport building was significantly expanded with a new terminal building and the launch of an underground, fully automated train called Skymetro that takes travelers into the city.

Located 11 kilometers north of downtown Zurich, the airport is highly rated by Skytrax for security, immigration control and more.

A porter is also available at the airport to take your luggage to any destination for a fee.

Shawdue International Airport.

78.7 million annual passengers.

Advantages: The airport handles approximately 78 million people a year and is the second busiest airport in the world, behind first place Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport in Atlanta.

That’s why Beijing is building a new airport that will surpass John F. Kennedy Airport, LaGuardia Airport and Newark Airport combined.

The tallest building in the capital, Terminal 3 won the award for Best Terminal. The opening of this terminal in 2008 coincided with the Beijing Olympics.

Beijing Langham Place hotel was named the second best airport hotel in the world.

Tokyo International Airport / Haneda Airport

Passengers annually: 62.6 million.

Advantages: With the opening of a third international terminal in 2010, Haneda Airport can handle up to 90 million passengers annually.

The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport announced plans to expand the new terminal, and as early as March 2014, additional parking lots, 8 gates and a hotel were built.

The Japanese airport was recognized by Skytrax agency as the best local airport in the world and received high marks for the cleanliness of the terminals, stores and passenger security organization.

Amsterdam Airport Schiphol.

Passengers annually: 49.8 million.

Advantages: Schiphol opened in 1916 and at first it was a military airfield, which later became one of the busiest airports in the world.

While waiting for their flight, travelers can get a massage, play poker in the casino, or read a book in the airport library.

Schiphol is also known for its excellent restaurants, stores, and many other amenities.

Hong Kong International Airport

Passengers annually: 53.3 million.

Advantages: It is the busiest airport, which is within five hours of half the world’s population.

Hong Kong airport is praised for the speed of luggage delivery, restaurants, stores and cleanliness of the premises.

In March 2012, the airport was equipped with a third runway.

And to pass the time when a flight is delayed, passengers can go to the 9-hole golf course.

Munich Airport.

Passengers annually: 37.8 million.

Advantages: Germany’s second busiest airport has some of the most beautiful terminals, where the walls and ceilings are made of glass, which visually expands the building.

From the airport to the center of Munich it takes 45 minutes to get by train, which was voted the best in Europe. The airport is highly rated for its restaurants and shopping malls.

Incheon International Airport

Passengers annually: 39.2 million.

Advantages: South Korea’s largest airport serves more than 70 airlines. It is one of three airports rated five stars by Skytrax.

From 2005 to 2012, Incheon Airport topped the list of the best airports in the world according to the Airports Council International.

This relatively young airport, which opened in March 2001, has a Museum of Korean Culture. The airport received high marks from Skytrax for its appearance, cleanliness, seating areas, Internet access, and local eateries.

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Airport named after. Saint-Exupery Airport in Lyon, France
This real wonder, created by the Swiss architect Santiago Calatrava, appeared in Lyon in 1975. The airport was named after the famous writer Antoine Saint-Exupery. In its shape, the air harbor building resembles a bird – steel arches act as wings.

Marrakech-Menara Airport, Morocco
For a true eastern fairy tale it is worth at least once to visit the airport located in Morocco. Architectural studio E2A worked on the project of the airport terminal.

The specialists used oriental ornaments, so unusual for the European eye, not only on the facade, but also in the interior decoration. The sun’s rays pass through them and are reflected in the airport floor.

Adolfo Suarez Airport Adolfo Suarez Airport in Madrid, Spain
There are many architectural landmarks in Madrid. But many tourists come here just for that – Terminal 4 of Barajas airport named after Adolfo Suarez. Adolfo Suarez. Two specialists, Richard Rogers and Antonio Lamel, worked on this work of architectural thought.

The roof of the terminal was made of bamboo and has a wave-like shape. Thanks to its special texture, a large volume of natural light enters the building, which gently diffuses and creates a warm, friendly atmosphere.

Changi Airport, Singapore
Singapore airport is considered a star among the harbours of the world. It is not just an architectural masterpiece, but a real city within a city. Designed by Moshe Safdie, part of the building is a glass dome. Its size is legendary for its sheer scale.

But the most important thing is under it. Here one can find a man-made waterfall that is recognized as the largest in the world. There is also a garden with exotic plants, which is an oasis. What to say about the presence of a huge shopping center, masses of restaurants and other entertainment.

Beijing Daxing Airport, China
Zaha Hadid, the greatest architect of modern times, worked on the project of the international airport in Beijing. It took only 4 years to build a huge facility, recognized as the largest in the world. Its main distinguishing feature is considered to be its form. Airport terminal is very reminiscent of a starfish. In fact, that is how locals call it.

Samui, Thailand. Green garden with log cabins – no, this is not a Thai village, but one of the busiest airports in the country. It serves millions of tourists every year. Apart from the souvenir store at the airport there are no indoor facilities – they are replaced by well-kept gardens, green parks with picturesque ponds.

John F. Kennedy International Airport, New York, USA. The old terminal is an original building, which by its architecture creates a feeling of flying. There are no well-defined walls, smooth geometric lines. All the staircases and partitions flow smoothly into each other. The building is recognized as one of the most unusual airports in the world.

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13. Airport on the island of Madeira in Portugal
    The airport in question was built in 1964. During its existence it has changed several names: Santa Catarina, Funchal, Madeira, and since 2016 it is the Cristiano Ronaldo airport.

It was classified as one of the most dangerous airports in the world in 1977, after a terrible plane crash that claimed the lives of 131 people. The runway was too short and the pilot missed his landing by about 300 meters, so the plane crashed into a mountain.

The extended runway at Madeira Island
The work to extend the runway lasted eight years and now has a length of 2,777 meters. Most of it is a trestle based on reinforced concrete pillars. There are 180 of them, all with a diameter of 3 meters and some with a height of up to 50 meters.

Thanks to this engineering solution it has been possible to reduce to some extent the danger of landing in the Madeira harbor. Although the airfield is still one of the most extreme airfields on the planet, ranking 13th among them.

12. Narsarsuaq Airfield in Greenland
    At number 12 on this list is Narsarsuaq Airport, standing north of the town of Narsak. It is the most important transportation interchange in South Greenland and Greenland’s only international airfield.

In addition, Narsarsuaq is also a real historical landmark: it appeared in 1941 as an American-owned military base Blue West One. Nowadays the airfield is used for flights to Greenland, Copenhagen and in summer time to Reykjavik, repeating the path of the warplanes flown during World War II.

Narsarsuaq runway from above
The airfield has one runway made of concrete slabs – its length is 1830 meters and width is 45 meters.

The length of the runway and the many nearby fjords are not the only hazards. There is increased turbulence in the area, even when there is not the usual strong and gusty winds. Only well-trained and experienced professionals are allowed to fly in this area with such extreme climatic conditions.

11. Bamda Airport in China.
Bamda is the highest airfield in the world, located among the mountains of Tibet, at an altitude of 4,334 meters above sea level.

No less shocking than the altitude is the runway: it is the longest in the world among civilian airports at 5,500 meters. Such a long runway may seem superfluous, but in the rarefied air this is of paramount importance. Because of the thin air high up in the mountains the engines become much more difficult to operate and the resulting reduced thrust, which in turn prevents the aircraft from taking off quickly. This is the main reason why Bamdah is ranked as the 11th most difficult airport in the world to land and take off.

10. Ice runway at Novolazarevskaya station in Antarctica
    In 1961 the Soviet Antarctic station Novolazarevskaya was established on the coast of the Queen Maud Land, about 80 km from the Lazarev Sea.

Novolazarevskaya station airfield
Plane takeoff from Novolazarevskaya Antarctic station
In 1979, 12 km south of it, an airfield was built for receiving the IL-76. The airfield is one of the largest in Antarctica, it is equipped with concrete parking lots and tracks for takeoffs and landings.

It is the 10th most dangerous and scary airfield on our planet. The extreme climatic conditions, rather than the airport’s location, pose a particular danger. The real and really scary problem can be the weight of the plane – a huge machine is capable of breaking through the ice or loading in the soft snow cover.

9. Princess Juliana Airport on St. Martin’s Island in the Netherlands
   Another of the world’s most terrifying airfields is Princess Juliana International Airport. The end of its runway sits close to the popular Maho beach.

When landing the planes fly low over the beach (10-20 m), almost hitting the tourists. Gorgeous photos of one of the most dangerous airports in the world and vivid impressions from the sight of huge machines flying overhead guaranteed.

Takeoffs here are just as extreme and difficult: the pilot has to make a sharp U-shaped turn to avoid hitting a rock on the course.

The shockwave from the engines is so frightening that it literally knocks down many curious extremists watching the flights from Maho Beach.

8. Tonkotin Airport in Honduras
   The next, 8th on the list, of the world’s scariest airports is Toncontin, operating in Honduras, in the capital city of Tegucigalpa.

The airport is built in a valley surrounded by mountains. The runways are situated at an altitude of 1005 m above sea level and are no more than 2163 m long. As the routes are very short and close to the mountains, aircraft have to negotiate a 45° angle to the ground. The winds create another problem as they force the planes to make adjustments in the last few seconds.

Airport accident in Honduras
In the spring of 2008, the plane of the airline TACA couldn’t keep its position on the runway and crashed into several cars parked on the quay, destroying several of them. Sixty-five people were injured and five died. This is not the first terrible accident at Toncontin Airport; in the fall of 1989, a TAN-SAHSA jetliner struck a rock during its landing. The death toll from that crash was high, with 131 of the 146 people aboard killed.

Despite such terrible risk factors, this extreme airfield receives many flights every day.

7. Kansai Airport in Japan
   Kansai International Airport is an ensemble of structures erected right in the sea, on an artificially constructed island in Osaka Bay near the city of Osaka. The island is 4 km long and 2.5 km wide.

Unfortunately, even Japanese engineers failed to calculate the terrible rate at which Kansai will sink underwater: in 1994 alone the island subsided by 50 cm. Now this rate has significantly decreased, but it had to resort to active measures and to spend billions of dollars additionally.

Kansai, a masterpiece of engineering, is the 7th most dangerous airborne harbor in the world.

6. Gustaf III Airport in St. Barthélemy
   Gustaf III Airport, also known as Saint Barthelemy, is located in the waters of the Caribbean Sea, on the island of Saint Barthelemy.

The runway is only 650 meters long and is built in an incredibly narrow corridor, bounded on its sides by rocks. During landing the aircrafts approach the slopes extremely close to the rocks, so that they are in danger of falling straight into the ocean.

Gustaf III is a well-deserved 6th place among airports with scary landing conditions.

5. Courchevel Airport in France
   The next of the airports globally recognized as scary and dangerous is Courchevel, which serves the French resort of the same name.

Airport is located among the mountains, 2000 m above sea level. The runway at the airport is extremely short with a length of 525m and a gradient of 18.5°.

Courchevel Airport
The functionality of the airport is also limited by technical conditions due to the lack of a navigation instrument landing pattern. This means that landing in fog or low clouds is not possible.

By the way, the extreme Courchevel became world famous thanks to the movie “Tomorrow Never Dies”. In the film there is a scene where James Bond lands a plane on the dangerous and even scary landing strip of this small airport in France.

4. Tenzing and Hillary Airport in Nepal
   Eastern Nepal has a dangerous and extreme airport, ranked #4 in the ranking, it is the Tenzing Norgei and Edmund Hillary Airport, who gained world fame as the first Everest conquerors. Until 2008, the airfield was known as Lukla Airport.

The runway is only 527 meters long and has a gradient of 12° which gives it a height difference of 60 meters at the ends. The difficult terrain has led to one end of the runway being used for landings, on the edge of a 700 m deep precipice, while the other is used for takeoffs, on the bottom of a 4,000 m high ridge.

An additional and very scary danger here is caused by thick clouds and strong winds.

The title “the most extreme airport in the world” was earned by this airport for another reason: takeoffs and landings are carried out only by VFR, because of all known navigation systems only a radio station is used here.

3. Matekane airstrip in the Kingdom of Lesotho
   The Matecane airstrip is the name given to the airport in the Kingdom of Lesotho. In fact, it is not an airport in the usual sense of the world: the runway stretches on a mountain plateau with a length of 400 meters, ending with a precipice deep 600 meters.

It is rare for any aircraft to accelerate and climb before this runway ends. When the project was designed, engineers assumed that planes would go into free-fall on takeoff to gain the required altitude.

In 2009, local and international flights were banned at this extreme airport. But for private small flights, this dangerous and extreme airport continues to be used even now.

It ranks among the airports in the world with the most terrifying flying conditions – 3.

2. Huancho irauskin airport on the island of saba in the netherlands
   Juancho-Irauskin, designed for international flights, is the world’s most dangerous airport near the sea and the 2nd most extreme. It is located among the waters of the Caribbean Sea, on the island of Saba, and is designed to land only three types of aircraft.

Windward Islands AirwaysWindward Islands Airways aircraft
The airfield is equipped with the shortest runway in the world (about 400m), surrounded by steep cliffs and the sea. Adding to the difficulty is a very strong wind, which is also constantly changing its direction.

Flights are flown only by crews of local airline Windward Islands Airways, specially trained. For private flights Huancho-Irauskin is closed, because the slightest mistake during takeoff or landing will lead to terrible consequences!

1. Paro Airport in the Kingdom of Bhutan
   Paro Airport is located 6 km from the city of Paro in a small valley of the Paro River, surrounded by the 5 km high peaks of the Himalayas.

Paro Airport
The location is the reason why the airport is considered the most extreme landing harbor in the world as the crew has to make incredible turns in the mountains. Taking off is no less terrifying or dangerous: the plane spirals right above the airport, gradually gaining altitude and rising over the Himalayas. Such stunts are only possible during the day and only in good weather conditions.

All over the world only a few pilots (according to different sources from 8 to 25 professionals) are licensed and authorized to perform such rapid and extreme maneuvers in dangerous conditions.

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1. Hartsfield-Jackson (USA, Georgia)
   The world’s busiest airport, named after Atlanta mayors Maynard Jackson and William B. Hartsfield, sees nearly 104 million passengers each year. It has retained its leading position in passenger traffic for more than 20 years.

The air port area is 1,902 hectares and covers the territory of three communities – Atlanta, East Point and Hapeville. The air terminal complex is not only an important interstate transportation hub, but also connects the country to North, South and Central America, Africa, Asia and Europe. Uninterrupted operation of the air harbor is provided by a huge staff – more than 60 thousand people.

Hartsfield-Jackson is more than just an airfield. It is home to exhibits about the city of Atlanta, photo exhibits, and artwork from university students.

Each year, one of Atlanta’s airstrips (the airport’s middle name) is transformed into a running track for charity marathon participants. Proceeds from the event are donated to educational institutions for scholarships.

This is interesting: The airport was erected on the site of the abandoned Atlanta Speedway track, which was formerly owned by the founder of the Coca-Cola Company and was the site of the race.

2. Beijing Showdu (China)
   China’s first and largest airport annually receives about 96 million passengers. It consists of three terminals: the first is designed for domestic flights, the other two serve both domestic and international flights.

The second terminal is home to major airlines: Skyteam, China Southern and China Eastern. Terminal 3 is the base for Oneworld, Air China and Star Alliance. The area of the latter is 986 thousand square meters, which makes it one of the largest in the world (the territory is second only to the airfield in Dubai).

The infrastructure of the airport complex includes:

72 catering establishments (restaurants of different levels, cafes, fast food);
a winter garden, stylized as the Imperial Gardens of the Summer Palace;
sales area of 12.6 thousand square meters. m;
Duty-free zone, etc.
The distance between terminals (3C, 3D,3E, etc.) is about 2 km, so to get, for example, luggage or boarding passes, travelers use interterminal train. For passenger convenience, the airfield is connected by a subway line to Beijing, so arriving passengers can go directly to the city center or to the train stations.

3. Dubai (UAE)
   The airport in Dubai receives about 88 million passengers annually. The national carrier Emirates Airline is based here, as well as a small company Flydubai.

The air harbor connects the country with North and South America, European countries, South, East and South-West Asia, the African continent and Australia.

The complex occupies an area of 1,400 hectares and consists of 3 terminals, between which the buses run. Travel time is 20-30 minutes.

There is an exhibition center, restaurants, 5 and 4-star hotels, a health club, a business center and a duty-free zone.

Next to the second terminal there is an area for VIP-guests (dignitaries, stars, heads of large companies, etc.) with its own customs control service, lounges, business center and conference halls.

It’s interesting: Since Dubai is a transshipment point for the export and import of flowers, the administration has launched a project to build a sorting center at the airport. To date, its area is 100 thousand square meters, and the capacity – almost 300 tons of flowers a year.

4. Tokyo, Japan
   The second name of the airport located in the Ota District is Haneda. Its passenger traffic exceeds 85 million people. The main purpose of the airfield is to provide air traffic between the capital and other populated areas of the country. As for international destinations, Haneda receives mainly charter flights from Seoul, Shanghai and Hong Kong. The main burden of receiving “foreign guests” falls on the other airport complex – Narita.

Tokyo airport serves as a base for well-known Japanese carriers – All Nippon Airways and Japan Airlines, as well as low-cost carriers – Skymark and Hokkaido International Airlines.

There are three terminal buildings within the airport, two of which are designed to serve domestic flights, one for international flights. The infrastructure of the first terminal, called the “Big Bird,” includes a six-story restaurant, retail space and observation deck; the second has a rooftop restaurant, retail halls, a store and catering facilities occupying six floors, and a hotel.

Heads of foreign states and other important persons are received in a separate vip-building.

For information: You can get from Haneda to Narita and some parts of the capital by train: there are Tokyo Monorail and Keihin Keiku Railway stations right at the airport.

5. Los Angeles (California, USA)
   The airfield is built between the El Segundo and Westchester neighborhoods near the coast. It is shaped like a horseshoe. Travelers remember the distinctive look of the colorful pillar buildings and glowing large letters LAX.

Millions of people visit the Los Angeles airport every year. According to the latest figures, its passenger traffic reached 84.5 million. The airport connects California with North and Latin America, the Middle East, Asian countries, Europe and Oceania. The buildings, which occupy an area of 14 square kilometers, are connected by overground passages, underground tunnels and elevated corridors. Movement is carried out on special shuttle buses.

Of the nine terminals, eight are assigned serial numbers, and the remaining one is named after Tom Bradley.

In addition to basic infrastructure (souvenir stores, catering facilities, banks, etc.), there are four hotels on the flight deck: Radisson, Hilton, Best Western and Crown Plaza.

6. O’Hare (Chicago, Illinois, USA)
   The complex was originally named Orchard Air Field when it opened in 1943, but six years later it was renamed after the U.S. Navy ace Edward O’Hara.

Until 2005, it was the busiest airport in the world with more than 2,660 takeoffs and landings daily. By now O’Hare has not only lost the palm, but has become the sixth busiest airport in the world, which nevertheless remains quite large at about 80 million people.

The largest companies involved in transporting passengers through this airfield are United Express, American Eagle, United Airlines and American Airlines.

To serve travelers at the airport terminal territory there are five terminal areas, which are connected by railroad tracks. A Hilton hotel is built in the center of the complex. There is also a Chicago Metro station, which is the beginning of the Blue Line.

7. Heathrow (United Kingdom, London)
   The busiest European airfield annually receives 78 million passengers. It is a hub for such air carriers as Virgin Atlantic Airways and British Airways.

There are 5 terminal buildings at Heathrow to serve passengers. Those arriving at the airport can stay at one of the 17 hotels located in the terminal complex and nearby. To get to London is not difficult – on the platforms of the airport stop the trains going to the city center. There is also access to the London Underground station from all terminals.

Initially, the complex was designed to receive no more than 45 million people a year. In connection with the constantly increasing flow of passengers, the services of Heathrow have difficulty with the timely maintenance of aircraft. Frequent flight delays and overcrowded lobbies are the main reasons for customer dissatisfaction.

In addition to the usual infrastructure there are prayer rooms and the Chapel of St. George. The latter is located in an underground bunker and is the site of Anglican, Catholic and Church of Scotland services.

This is interesting: The inauguration of the last fifth terminal took place in the spring of 2008 and was carried out by the reigning Queen Elizabeth II of Great Britain.

8. Hong Kong, China

The Chuklapkok (the unofficial name of the airport, derived from the island of the same name on which it is built) receives about 72.6 million people annually. Its main purpose is to connect Hong Kong with the Chinese mainland, East and Southeast Asia.

Terminal No. 1 is an eight-level building, the upper part of which is devoted to shopping rooms, restaurants and entertainment facilities. The roof is equipped with a special viewing platform. Moving inside the building is provided by two elevators. Terminal 2 does not have a developed infrastructure, because it is designed only for the registration of passengers, after which they go by shuttle to the next building.

Within the airport is the Hong Kong Business Aviation Centre, designed to receive private aircraft. It is equipped with a separate reception and check-in area, its own customs office, business lounges, showers, etc.

It is interesting: For several years (from 2001 to 2011 with short breaks) the airport Chheklapkok was recognized as the best in the world (according to Skytrax). In 2002, it received an award from the International Air Transport Association.

9. Pudong (Shanghai, China)
   This relatively young terminal complex (opening date – 1999) by now serves about 70 million people. It is the main hub for Chinese airlines: Air China, China Eastern and Shanghai.

Pudong consists of two terminals – the first looks like a wave, and the second – a seagull. Their territory has everything you need – Wi-Fi zones, space with restaurants and cafes, stores, etc.

Right at the airport there is a subway station (second line) from which you can get to the center of Shanghai (with a change – to any part of the city) or to the train station.

10. Charles de Gaulle airport (France, Paris)
    Paris air harbor with its annual passenger traffic of 69.4 million people is at the bottom of the top 10 busiest airports of the world. The airport complex located 25 km from the capital was opened in 1974 and named after the French general, leader of the Resistance.

Charles de Gaulle is the location of the headquarters of the national airline Air France, as well as a hub for Delta Air Lines and XL Airways France.

The first terminal was built in the shape of a puck, symbolizing engineering. Currently, the air port consists of eight terminals. Their infrastructure includes about 30 hotels, a game room for children and a room with consoles (in Terminal 3), bank offices, pharmacies, medical offices and much more.

Movement between the terminal buildings is carried out by special buses and takes an average of 20-30 minutes.

This is interesting: Due to its unusual futuristic appearance, Charles de Gaulle has more than once appeared in the frames of various films (“Love Story”, “Pilot Pirks Inquest”, “The Crew”).

The airports in the top ten busiest airports have huge areas, lots of passageways and a variety of infrastructure facilities. Some passengers, when they come here for the first time, are delighted by the scale of the complexes, while others are horrified.

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