The world’s 10 largest airports
Discover the top 10 largest airports in the world—see which impress with size, structure, and connectivity.
What are the world’s scariest airports? Check out the top 10
Thanks to advances in technology and specialized crew training, flying has become extremely safe, but there are still the scariest airports in the world that pose challenges worthy of an action film.
For those who love to travel and collect unusual stories, visiting them is an adventure in itself. See below for the top 10, what makes them so feared, and why, despite everything, they continue to receive flights every year.
What is the scariest airport in the world?
Paro International Airport in Bhutan is the scariest airport in the world, according to a ranking by The Luxury Travel Expert1.
Set in a deep valley and surrounded by mountains reaching 5,500 metres, it offers one of the most challenging approaches in global aviation—undeniably nerve‑wracking. On top of that, unpredictable weather, with strong winds and turbulence, demands exceptional pilot skill.
Landings can only occur during daylight and in full‑visibility conditions, since the final approach is flown visually. To ratchet up the tension, the runway only becomes visible in the final moments, after the aircraft performs 45‑degree manoeuvres between the mountains.
What makes Paro International Airport the scariest in the world? How was this ranking defined?
The specialist site The Luxury Travel Expert, known for creating rankings and reviews of destinations and travel experiences, compiled the list of the world’s scariest airports based on criteria that go beyond dangerous landings. After all, what’s considered scary can vary from person to person.
With that in mind, it assessed aspects that heighten the tension of takeoffs and landings, such as:
- Location in mountainous areas or surrounded by natural obstacles
- Extremely short runways, less than 800 metres long
- Adverse weather conditions, such as strong winds and severe turbulence
- The need for complex visual approaches that require risky manoeuvres
- A limited number of pilots authorized to operate at the airport due to its high level of difficulty
- Proximity to oceans, cliffs, or urban areas
- Limited infrastructure, with narrow runways, inadequate lighting, or minimal navigation equipment
- A history of accidents or a remote location
That said, it’s important to remember that despite these airports’ reputations, flying is the safest mode of transportation in the world. Commercial aviation has one of the lowest accident rates, and the chance of a flight experiencing a fatal accident is approximately 1 in 11 million2.
Moreover, even when incidents do happen, most do not result in fatalities, thanks to advanced safety systems, rigorous crew training, and technologies that enable emergency landings and controlled manoeuvres.
Top 10 scariest airports in the world
Each of these airports has its own quirks—whether it’s the geography, unpredictable weather conditions, or even the lack of the infrastructure we’re used to.
Beyond the challenges posed by each runway, these airports are spread across different countries and territories, each with its own official currency. Below, we’ve compiled the 10 scariest airports in the world, their locations, and the currency used at each destination.
| Airport | Country | Official currency |
|---|---|---|
| Paro International Airport | Bhutan | Bhutanese ngultrum (BTN) |
| Gustaf III Airport (St. Barts) | Saint Barthélemy (French West Indies) | Euro (EUR) |
| Juancho E. Yrausquin Airport | Saba (Caribbean Netherlands) | Netherlands Antillean guilder (ANG) |
| Courchevel Airport | France | Euro (EUR) |
| Tenzing-Hillary Airport (Lukla) | Nepal | Nepalese rupee (NPR) |
| Cristiano Ronaldo Madeira International Airport (formerly Funchal) | Portugal | Euro (EUR) |
| Toncontín Airport | Honduras | Honduran lempira (HNL) |
| Innsbruck Airport | Austria | Euro (EUR) |
| Princess Juliana International Airport | Sint Maarten | Netherlands Antillean guilder (ANG) |
| Gibraltar International Airport | Gibraltar (British Overseas Territory) | Gibraltar pound (GIP) |
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Sources consulted in this article:
- Airport ranking
- AirHelp - safe means of transport
Sources last checked on August 11, 2025
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