Photo: BI Also known as “The Ice”, the Sea Ice Runway in Antarctica is not paved with any material. And if this isn’t scary enough, it’s entirely made of… ice and can crack under the weight of an airplane. As temperatures rise and the ice melts, there aren’t any runways for planes to land on. Princess Juliana International Airport, St. Maarten, USA Photo: BI Princess Juliana International Airport, St. Maarten, USA is probably scarier for people sunbathing on the beach than for passengers. The airport’s runway is quite short and it ends right near the beach. This means the plane must fly extremely low, before landing. Beachgoers will “enjoy” a strange experience with extremely loud noises and strong winds. Paro Airport, Paro, Bhutan Photo: BI The only international airport in Bhutan is Paro located at an altitude of 2.23 km above sea level and surrounded by the Himalayas with the highest peak reaching 4.87 km. All of this makes only the most veteran pilots allowed to fly here. Barra Airport, Eologarry, Scotland Photo: BI You might be surprised to learn that planes will have to land on sand at Barra Airport in Scotland. Due to its location on the coast, one must also calculate the time to land the plane at no tide. At that time, the “runway” will completely disappear. Juancho E. Yrausquin Airport, Saba Island, Netherlands Photo: BI If the extreme winds generated by the mountains haven’t made you shiver, the less than 400-meter runway of Juancho E. Yrausquin Airport is sure to make even the bravest tremble. Narsaruaq Airport, Greenland Photo: BI Winds and turbulence at Narsaruaq Airport are so frequent that take-offs and landings are only allowed during the day. Pilots here also need to make 90-degree turns to line up planes on the flight path – this is especially hard when it’s windy. Gibraltar International Airport, Gibraltar Photo: BI Besides terminating in a harbour, the runway of Gibraltar International Airport intersects Winston Churchill Avenue, one of the bustling neighbourhoods. most Gibraltar. (It has to close every time a plane lands.) Madeira Airport, Portugal Photo: BI Known as the most dangerous airport in Europe, pilots face hills on one side and the sea on the other when operating at this airport. Its runway is also windy and very short. Qamdo Bamda Airport, China Photo: BI Qamdo Bamda Airport used to be the tallest airport in the world. However, at an altitude of 4.33 km above sea level, the thin air also makes landing more difficult than ever. In return, the airport has the longest runway runway in the world, at 5.47 km. Gustaf II Airport, St. Barths Photo: BI At 640 meters long, the runway of Gustaf II airport is not only short but also ends at a public beach full of tourists. Matekane Air Strip, Matekane, Lesotho Photo: BI The runway at this airport is about 400 meters, but the abyss below it is more than 600 meters deep. Many people therefore liken these planes on the runway to a bird rushing out of its nest to practice flying. Ketchikan International Airport, Alaska Photo: BI Ketchikan International Airport often freezes because of its special geographical location near mountains, sea and cold winds. Tenzing-Hillary Airport, Nepal Photo: BI Tenzing-Hillary Airport, Nepal has one of the steepest runways in the world and ends in the majestic Himalayas. It is understandable that flights are only allowed to take off or land during the day and weather permitting. Courchevel Airport, France Photo: BI Not only short, the flight path at Courchevel airport also has a slope of 18.5%. Not to mention that it is surrounded by many rocky mountains.