Top 11 Weirdest Airports Around the World
 11 Weirdest Airports In the United States The US has more airports than any other country. Some of them are very special and have interesting histories or locations.Have you ever tried to ... |
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| Top 11 Strangest Airports in the World Today |
Most of the time, airports aren't very interesting. They just have runways, terminals, baggage carousels, and other standard stuff. However, engineers had to think outside the box in some parts of the world in order to build an airport that could work.
This can keep you from getting bored while you wait in these airports!
Top 11 Most Unusual Airports Around the World
1. Kansai International Airport – Osaka, Japan
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| Photo: Inside Kyoto |
Background:
Engineers built this enormous structure about three miles offshore in Osaka Bay because land is a limited resource in Japan. Construction on the artificial island began in 1987, and by 1994, jumbo jets were landing there. From the airport, visitors can take a car, train, or even a high-speed ferry to the main island of Honshu.
Why It's Unusual Airport:
The man-made island in Kansai is 2.5 miles long and 1.6 miles wide, making it so big that it can be seen from space.
Engineers had to take into account a variety of factors, including earthquakes, hazardous cyclones, an unstable seabed, and protestor sabotage attempts. Even though the airport is impressive, Stewart Schreckengast, a professor of aviation technology at Purdue University and a former aviation consultant with MITRE, warns that the airport's survival is actually in danger due to climate change and rising sea levels. "When this was built, [engineers] probably didn't account for global warming," he claims. "This may be underwater in about 50 years."
This is also one of the world's top 10 best airports for 2021 and 2022.
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2. Agatti Airport – Lakshadweep, India
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| Photo: The Hans India |
Background:
The island, which is part of the Indian union territory of Lakshadweep, has the Agatti Airport at its southernmost point. The only airport in the entire archipelago is located here, off the nation's west coast.
The airport was constructed in 1987–1988 to accommodate the Dornier 228 type of aircraft. The initial terminal was situated inside a small temporary structure when it was opened in April 1988. Construction on the contemporary terminal began in 2006, and it was finished in November 2010.
Why It's Unusual Airport:
The 4,000-foot-long Agatti Airport, which is surrounded solely by the Indian Ocean, is so haphazard and small that it might as well be a fragment of a longer runway that got lost at sea. The airport, which is located on the island of Agatti, is the only one in Lakshadweep, an Indian Union Territory made up of 36 exotic islands off the southwest coast of India.
There have been plans to extend the short runway due to the danger it poses, but in the meantime, flights from Kerala's Cochin International Airport still go to the island six times per week.
3. Courchevel Airport – France
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| Photo: Twitter |
Background:
The airport at Courchevel, which was initially built during World War Two, has developed into one of the most distinctive airfields ever built. Despite the fact that it cannot claim to be the tallest, shortest, or most rugged, it muddles through all of those superlatives with a casual nonchalance that is distinctly, well, French.
Why It's Unusual Airport:
Courchevel's airport is surprisingly understated (though not necessarily uncomplicated) for such a high-end, posh ski resort town. The only airport in the ski resort town of Courchevel is a 1,700-foot strip of asphalt situated 6,000 feet above sea level on a slope in the French Alps. It is one of the shortest runways in the world, measuring only 525 meters (1,722 ft) in length and having an 18.5% gradient to aid in slowing down landing aircraft.
The runway, which was constructed in 1961 and has an odd uphill rise before a perilous downhill dip, is not only infamous for its sketchy design but also because it was featured in the James Bond film "Tomorrow Never Dies."
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4.Barra International Airport – Scotland
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| Photo: Daily Mail |
Background:
Since the 1930s, the beach has served as a temporary runway for aircraft heading for the island of Barra, which is located off the west coast of Scotland. Despite the island's lack of paved runways, the airport has a contemporary control tower that manages more than 1000 incoming and departing flights annually.
Why It's Unusual Airport:
One of the few airports in the world that uses a beach as a landing strip is located in Scotland, of all places! The Outer Hebrides' Barra Airport is a very special airport where flights are based on the tidal cycle. Three triangle-shaped sand runways help pilots land and take off in any wind conditions as aircraft arrive from the Scottish mainland. Cockle picking is a common activity on the beach when it is accessible to the public.
5. Princess Juliana International Airport – Simpson Bay, Sint Maarten
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| Photo: The Weather Channel |
Background:
The sound of roaring engines and the aroma of jet exhaust are the epitome of summertime fun. Pilots must fly over a small stretch of beach, a sizable fence, and a road before reaching the runway when landing on this Caribbean island.
Why It's Unusual Airport:
There aren't many airports with tourist-filled oceanfront buildings beneath incoming planes. With the exception of their hearing, tourists are not in any danger, but trucks traveling on the narrow road that runs between the beach and the runway might be. Making sure a large semi-truck doesn't pass through as the plane is landing presents a challenge. The truck becomes a vertical obstruction and could be blown over by the jet blast if it is light.
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6. Gisborne Airport – Gisborne, New Zealand
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| Photo: Charismatic Planet |
Background:
The Gisborne airport is a regional airport located in the suburb of Elgin 4.2 km from the city center of Gisborne on the East Coast of the North Island of New Zealand.
Why It's Unusual Airport:
Remember that adorable young child from the Old El Paso advertisement who enquired, "Why can't we have both?" The layout of this airport can be achieved by substituting an airport runway and a working train line for hard and soft shell tacos, respectively. We can only picture a tired traveler who has been in the air for more than 30 hours rubbing their eyes in disbelief when they land. One of the few airports in the world where the main runway is crossed by a railroad is Gisborne Airport's Palmerston North-Gisborne Line!
7. Cristiano Ronaldo Airport – Santa Cruz, Madeira, Portugal
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| Photo: Amusing Planet |
Background:
The 1600-meter-long runway at Cristiano Ronaldo Airport (also known as Madeira Airport) was first made public on July 8, 1964. Previously made by boat, the Madeira archipelago now has new connections to the Portuguese mainland. On a test track in Santa Catarina, an aircraft made its first landing on Madeira Island in 1957.
Why It's Unusual Airport:
An island whose primary source of income is tourism experienced limited air traffic for many years due to a combination of high mountains, the ocean, and a short runway. Construction of 180 columns off the coast of Madeira, the addition of a runway, and most recently, the renaming of the entire complex as the Cristiano Ronaldo International Airport, served as the solution. Because if there's one guy, you can count on him to consistently hit the mark... The airport's name change, which took place in one of the windiest places on earth. Local politicians opposed it and argued that the footballer's name should be added to a stadium or another sporting venue, which drew a lot of attention.
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8. Vancouver International Airport – Canada
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| Photo: Stantec |
Background:
During the war, the airport served as a location for air defense and munitions production as well as a training ground for the military. The airport is once again under the city of Vancouver's control in 1947, and several airlines start using it. The airport is given the official name Vancouver International Airport in 1948.
Why It's Unusual Airport:
There aren't many airports where you can gaze upon aquatic life before taking flight! With a 114,000-liter tank filled with marine life, Vancouver International Airport is home to the largest airport aquarium in the world. Eels, urchins, and tiger fish are among the sea life that can be found inside the award-winning aquatic museum. Jellyfish are kept in the smaller 1,800 liter tank. They were added to the terminal in 2007 and were made to highlight the underwater ecosystems of British Columbia.
9. Gibraltar Airport – Gibraltar
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| Photo: Daily Sabah |
Background:
Gibraltar, a tiny British colony, is located between Morocco and Spain. The airport was built during World War II, and even though commercial flights land there frequently, it still serves as a base for the Royal Air Force of the United Kingdom.
Why It's Unusual Airport:
You probably haven't driven a car across an airport runway because, you know, it's unnecessary and frequently prohibited. However, there aren't many options if you frequently travel to Gibraltar, a tiny location off the tip of the Iberian Peninsula, and aren't flying to/from the UK. This is so for two reasons: 1) Gibraltar International Airport only handles flights to and from the UK; and 2) Gibraltar's only land connection to the mainland runs right through the airport runway. Gates prevent vehicles from navigating the runway during a plane's takeoff or landing to avoid a dangerous collision.
10. Savannah-Hilton Head International Airport – US
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| Photo: Pinterest |
Background:
The land on which the airport is situated was once owned by the Dotson family. Graves found by airport planners that date back to 1857 show that some of them not only lived here but also passed away there.
According to local law, moving a grave can only be done with the next of kin's consent. When none could be discovered, engineers dug the graves into the tarmac, and ever since, the Dotson family has been a welcome sight for visitors to runway 10.
Why It's Unusual Airport:
During construction, engineers took advantage of the area's extreme cold by building the runway on a layer of permafrost. Although the airport was finished in 1975, minor seasonal changes caused some of the runway's sections to become uneven, necessitating multiple times for the runway to be repaved. An effort to isolate problematic runway stretches from the ground was started in 1989, and it was largely successful. However, a 2002 study found that the need for maintenance work and repaving may increase as local temperatures rise.
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11. Don Mueang Airport – Thailand
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| Photo: Bangkok Post |
Background:
From a distance Don Mueang International looks like any other midsize airport. However, smack-dab in the middle of the two runways is an 18-hole golf course.
Why It's Unusual Airport:
What would it be like to hit a golf ball 20 feet from a runway? There is something very interesting right in the middle of the runways at Bangkok's Don Mueang Airport, which is used by both civilians and the military. a golf course! The Kantarat Golf Course is the only place in the world where you can play golf and watch planes fly by at the same time. There is a caddie for every player, and taking pictures or videos is not allowed at all on the course. You have to go through a metal security gate just to get to the course. Don't forget to bring your earplugs if you ever tee off here!
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