SmarterTravel Picks the World's Scariest Airports

SmarterTravel®, one of the largest online travel resources of independent expert advice for the budget conscious traveler, has released its list of the World's Scariest Airports for take-off and landing. Highlights include limited visibility landings, inconveniently placed volcanoes, and runways formed when the tide goes out.

"Naturally there are numerous safety regulations in place to ensure these commercial airports remain perfectly safe," said Anne Banas, executive editor of SmarterTravel. "However, in my personal experience and from talking with several pilots we interviewed, these airports top the list of scariest take-offs and landings with mountains that appear out of nowhere, volcanoes and very low visibility — among others. If youre looking for a rush, you are sure to get one."

SmarterTravel picks for the World's Scariest Airports include:

1. Barra Airport, Barra, Scotland
   Highlight: It's always a beach landing and runways form when the tide goes out.


2. Gibraltar Airport, Gibraltar
   Highlight: The main road to Spain intersects the runway.


3. Toncontín International Airport, Tegucigalpa, Honduras
   Highlight: A 45-degree bank and quick drop in altitude.


4. Nantucket Memorial Airport, Nantucket, Massachusetts
   Highlight: Fog often forces pilots to rely solely on instruments.


5. Paro Airport, Paro, Bhutan
   Highlight: Mountainous terrain means every flight is an aeronautical feat.


6. Yeager Airport, Charleston, West Virginia
   Highlight: Located on a flattened mountaintop, so overshooting the runway means dropping over a cliff.


7. La Aurora International Airport, Guatemala City, Guatemala
   Highlight: A startling approach weaves through volcanoes and mountains.


8. LaGuardia Airport, New York City, New York
   Highlight: Crowded airspace (JFK/Newark are nearby) and main runways extend over water.


9. Wellington International Airport, Wellington, New Zealand
   Highlight: Windy and the northern approach threads local hills and trolley lines.


10. John Wayne Airport, Santa Ana, California
    Highlight: Noise ordinances force pilots to quickly reduce throttle on takeoff.