Top 10 most Spectacular Airports in the World

Arrival, departure, stopover: Those who travel by plane often spend hours at airports. But not every airport is the same, some are real attractions. Here you will find the ten most extraordinary airports in the world that are definitely worth seeing.

St. Maarten, Caribbean: the exciting

Probably the most famous airport in the world is located on an island of just 34 square kilometers in the middle of the Caribbean and promises pure thrills – not for flight passengers, but for swimmers on the sandy beach. Because the Princess Juliana International Airport on Sint Maarten is just a few meters from Maho Beach. Aircraft that take off or land here fly just a few meters above the heads of the swimmers and promise breathtaking photos every time.

It is no wonder that holidaymakers travel to the small island in torrents every year. As spectacular as the airport is, it can also be dangerous: onlookers regularly get injured by the jet of aircraft taking off.

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Antarctic airfields: the unpredictable

Airports are often found in places where you would not expect them to be. In one of the most hostile environments on our planet, Antarctica, there are more than 40 of them. Most are flown to by military aircraft, but commercial flights to the remote continent are also possible – in the summer months from October to March.

The airfields in Antarctica have little else in common with conventional airports: there are no airport buildings, passengers carry their luggage themselves, and help with the freight. The runways are not paved, but consist of ice, gravel or snow. Often the runways even have to be leveled with seawater every year or completely closed due to the decreasing ice quality.

Barra, Scotland: the nondescript

Our next spectacular airfield is so easy to miss that you hardly notice it as an airport. This is exactly what makes it special: Barra Airport is located on the beach section of the island of the same name on Scotland’s west coast and is one of only two airports in the world with sand runways that sink completely into the sea at high tide. Airplanes only land at low tide – flight times are flexible and depend on the daily tides.

Nevertheless, the airport is regularly flown to small machines on scheduled flights. In addition to three runways, Barra Airport consists of a café that is the arrival and departure area, check-in and waiting area in one. The beach section has been officially approved as an airport since 1936.

Male, Maldives: the idyllic

Even on the small, idyllic islands of the Maldives, there is hardly any space for an airport in large format. The Malé International Airport extends almost over an entire island and has an airstrip that is very short for large aircraft. It is also built just two meters above sea level. Pilots must not make mistakes when taking off and landing so as not to land in the Indian Ocean.

Malé Airport is currently one of two airports in the Maldives that are served internationally. Since the end of August 2018, a bridge has connected him to the capital Malé – previously, passengers and staff could only reach the airport island by boat or seaplane.

Munich, Germany: the diverse

Christmas market in winter: There’s always something going on at Munich Airport.
Even the Munich airport belongs to us under the top ten of the most exciting airports in the world. Not only is it voted the best airport in Europe by passengers, but it is also very popular with visitors. It owes its popularity among other things to the high service and entertainment offer such as concerts, a Christmas market, public viewing as well as surf and bike events in summer. The in-house Airbräu brewery is famous and unique, and traditional Bavarian cuisine can be enjoyed in its restaurant and beer garden.

Lukla, Nepal: the dangerous one

Our next airport is not for the faint of heart: Tenzing-Hillary Airport in Lukla, Nepal is considered the most dangerous of all airports. It is located at around 2,600 meters in the middle of the Himalayas and, with a length of 457 meters, is one of the shortest runways in the world. Only helicopters and small airplanes can fly to the airport, pilots are not allowed to make mistakes here.

The runway meets a mighty rock face on its north side and a 600 meter deep gorge on the south side. Flights are almost only possible in the morning because strong winds, fog and bad weather arise from noon. Carved into the mountain in the 1960s, the airport is still served despite numerous accidents. With good reason: the half-hour flight time to Nepal’s capital Kathmandu saves Everest climbers a week’s walk through impassable mountains.

Doha, Qatar: the extravagant

7 meters high, 16 tons in weight: the golden teddy bear is the highlight of the main hall.
It’s the youngest and most luxurious airport on our list: Hamad International Airport in Qatar’s capital, Doha, was built for almost $ 16 billion, opened in 2014 and has a total of 28 international works of art, including a robot dinosaur and a playground with giant metal figures, an extravagant exhibition. The main attraction is a teddy bear in the main hall: the 16-ton, seven-meter-high bronze sculpture is stuck in a bedside lamp and is intended to remind travelers of their childhood.

In addition to the open museum, lounges with designer furniture, leather sofas and widescreen TVs, the open architecture radiates both luxury and tranquility with a lot of brightness – two things that are rarely associated with airports and which give it its uniqueness in Qatar’s capital.

Atlanta, USA: the largest

Not to be missed: Atlanta, the largest airport in the world.
Of course, the largest and busiest of all airports should not be missing from our list. It is the Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport in the United States. As one of the most important hubs in international air traffic, the airport in Atlanta in the US state of Georgia has held the pole position of the airport with the largest passenger volume since 1998. A total of around 103.9 million passengers traveled to Atlanta every year in 2017.

For comparison: the 24 largest German airports had a passenger volume of 117.6 million in the same year. Atlanta set the ultimate record a year earlier: 104,171,935 passengers traveled to the busiest airport in the world in 2016. He is also the only one in the world who has ever crossed the 100 million mark.

Changi, Singapore: the relaxing one

Vacation at the airport? Not an appealing idea for most, but Changi Airport in Singapore has so many attractions and leisure activities that you won’t get bored for days. The main attraction is a botanical area with five different themed gardens, such as the butterfly or the cactus garden, which offers hundreds of meters of greenery and transforms the airport building into a true local recreation area.

Cinemas, a fish spa, a swimming pool on the airport roof, or a free city tour are just a few of the other amenities the airport pampers travelers from all over the world. No wonder that it has been showered with awards since it opened in 1980 and has been voted the world’s best airport several times.

Vancouver, Canada: the Traditional

Among other things, this aquarium owes Vancouver Airport various awards.
At first glance, Vancouver International Airport looks like a normal airport. But it is an airport that embodies an entire country like no other: the design of the buildings is intended to bring the culture of Canada and North America closer to passengers arriving with wood carvings and sculptures of indigenous peoples.

The spacious architecture is designed to reflect the surrounding landscape with green and blue tones. Large windows for natural lighting, an artificial waterfall in the arrival hall, and the main attraction of the airport also serve this purpose: a 114,000-liter aquarium in the middle of the terminal. The airport owes this beauty, among other things, to being voted the best airport in North America several times.