Airport
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17 days ago
Updated: 16/10/2026
The 646 m runway starts just past a steep hill and ends at a beach. The French AIP calls both approaches difficult because of obstacles and turbulence. Airlines need a permit from the French civil aviation authority for each aircraft type, and private pilots need an instructor's sign-off.
Madeira's runway sits on a plateau with mountains rising behind it, and the Portuguese AIP warns of frequent turbulence and possible severe wind shear. Captains need at least 200 hours in command on the type and approved airport training, renewed every six months, and landings must stay within mandatory wind limits.
Sources: NAV Portugal eAIP, Madeira (LPMA)
With 401 m of runway and a take-off run of about 350 m, Saba is open only to aircraft and crews authorised by the Dutch government, and only in good visibility.
Sources: Dutch Caribbean eAIP, Saba (TNCS)
Paro lies in a narrow valley at about 2,235 m, ringed by peaks. Flights are allowed only in daylight and good visibility, and only pilots certified for Paro may land. Drukair's training includes simulator sessions and dozens of flights with a training captain.
Sources: Bhutan Department of Tourism, airport facts · aeroTELEGRAPH, landing an Airbus at Paro (2022)
Lukla's 527 m runway climbs 11.7% towards a mountainside at 2,846 m, so once on short final there is no realistic go-around. It is visual-only, and Nepal requires pilots to have short-take-off experience and supervised landings there first.
Sources: Nepal AIP, index to aerodromes · Wikipedia, Tenzing-Hillary Airport (citing CAAN rules)
Innsbruck's eastern approach is offset from the runway and descends at 3.77°, steeper than the usual 3°, down a narrow Alpine valley. The Austrian AIP warns of Föhn winds bringing severe turbulence and wind shear, and requires crews to be familiar with the procedures first.
Kathmandu sits in a valley ringed by high terrain. Some departures require climb gradients of up to 8%, against a standard 3.3%, and the FAA lists it as a special airport needing simulator familiarisation.
Sources: Nepal AIP, Kathmandu (VNKT) · FAA Notice N 8900.304, special PIC qualification airports (2015 revision)
Surrounded by Docklands buildings, London City has a 5.5° approach, almost twice the usual angle. Only aircraft whose flight manual covers steep approaches may land, which is why airlines fly small jets such as the Embraer 190 there.
Sources: UK AIP, London City (EGLC), Oct 2026
Juneau lies in a narrow channel with terrain rising steeply on three sides. Its special GPS approach is offset almost 14° from the runway, and captains must have landed there recently or completed approved qualification.
Sources: FAA Notice N 8900.304, special PIC qualification airports (2015 revision) · FAA procedure, Juneau RNAV (GPS) T RWY 8 (special)
Aspen is surrounded by mountains in every direction, with demanding climb performance requirements. The FAA lists it as a special airport, and commercial service is limited to regional jets.
Sources: FAA Notice N 8900.304, special PIC qualification airports (2015 revision)
Longyearbyen on Svalbard, the northernmost airport with scheduled flights, has terrain rising quickly to the north, south and east, and is on the FAA's special airport list.
Sources: FAA Notice N 8900.304, special PIC qualification airports (2015 revision) · Avinor, Svalbard Airport
Toncontín's mountainous approach into Tegucigalpa made it famous, but since December 2021 international jets use Palmerola instead. Today only small domestic flights land here.
Sources: FAA Notice N 8900.304, special PIC qualification airports (2015 revision) · El Heraldo, Toncontín stays domestic (May 2026)
The approach itself is a normal 3° glide path, but it crosses Maho Beach just before the runway, so arriving jets pass low over the people on the beach. The FAA lists it as a special airport because of the surrounding hills.
Sources: FAA Notice N 8900.304, special PIC qualification airports (2015 revision) · Wikipedia, Princess Juliana International Airport
Winds from the south and west tumble off the Rock of Gibraltar, and the military AIP warns this can make landing 'dangerous or impossible'. The runway is crossed at its midpoint by a public road and cycle path, closed for each arrival and departure.
Sources: UK Military AIP, Gibraltar (LXGB)
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