-
The World’s Most Dangerous Airport
30 Dec 2011 by Jasmine Stone in Travel, Very Cool, World
When you think of an airport you’re likely to conjure up images of wide open spaces, cordoned off for kilometres, free of any midair obstacles, and normally you’d be right on the money. However, perched between two 6km mountains, Paro Airport in Bhutan is anything but normal.
Situated 2.4km above sea level in the Himalayas, Paro Airport is nestled between sheer cliffs and is said to be one of the most dangerous airports in the world. The runway is just shy of 2km long, one of the only in the world which is shorter than its elevation above sea level.
Nestled between the mountains
Takeoff and landing at the airport are particularly daunting; strong winds whip between the peaks and through the valleys, resulting in severe, unpredictable turbulence, that have to be compensated for while weaving through the dozens of houses scattered across the mountainside. It’s no surprise then that there are only 8 pilots in the world qualified to land there. As one flier put it,
‘Goodness gracious!! I thought this kind of landing would’ve been possible only in FlightSim, because aviation safety rules would’ve disallowed it – especially seeing how close the aircraft gets to the hill.’
Relieved passengers disembark
Due to the incredibly challenging circumstances flights are only permitted during daylight hours. Despite this, the airport still receives more than 30 000 travellers a year, many of them holiday-makers.
[Source: Business Insider, Daily Mail]
Latest News
-
Blake Lively’s Birthday Message To Hubby Ryan Reynolds Is Pure Class
Sometimes a spouse gets instant revenge, and other times they must bide their time. Tak...
-
First-Hand Account Of Mugging At Knifepoint On Table Mountain Yesterday
[imagesource:here] That image above is terrifying, and you don't even know the whole st...
-
Please Enjoy Ozzie Flyhalf Bernard Foley Getting Destroyed [Video]
Coming up against the All Blacks is always going to be a bruising encounter, but spare a ...
-
A List Of Meghan Markle’s Embarrassing Family Members
Oh dear. If you one day find yourself climbing the social ladder and landing say, a p...
-
Thieves Are Now Using Children To Pickpocket You In Shopping Centres [Video]
It might be the last place you would think of being pickpocketed, but unfortunately it's...
-
-
-
2oceansvibe Partners
-
Ville du Cap
Cape Town, Western Cape, South AfricaAbsolute quality lifestyle. Spacious with private balcony views of Signal Hill, quality linen, wi-fi, Netflix, Nespresso, air con, Bose bluetooth sound, complimentary toiletries, safe, washer / dry...
'Bleu du Cap'
Cape Town, WC, South AfricaAs the latest addition to the stylish 'du Cap' range of Airbnb properties, quality furnishings and hassle-free service come as standard. As does fast internet, designer toiletries, Nespresso coffee...
