Airports with the Craziest Landings in the World

It's time to book holidays for next year! And just like all airline seats aren't created equal, not all runways are created equal either. Some are long, flat, and forgiving… and others are basically roller coasters with wings. Welcome to the world of aviation’s most dramatic landings.

Take Lukla Airport in Nepal, perched on a mountainside at 9,000 feet. Its runway is so short and sloped that landings feel more like controlled crashes. Pilots here train specifically for Lukla — it’s not a place you just “wing it.”

Then there’s Princess Juliana Airport in St. Maarten, where jets skim just meters over a public beach before touchdown. If you’ve ever seen those viral photos of people clinging to fences as a 747 roars overhead… that’s the spot.

Madeira, Portugal has a runway built partly on stilts over the ocean, with crosswinds that love to keep pilots humble. And Paro, Bhutan? Only a handful of pilots worldwide are certified to land there thanks to its steep valley approach.

These airports aren’t just about danger — they’re about skill. They remind us that aviation isn’t all autopilot and routine. Sometimes, it’s about precision, nerves of steel, and a little bit of showmanship.

Would you dare to book a ticket to one of these “extreme” landings? Or are you happy sticking with long, flat runways where the scariest thing is a bumpy touchdown?

Image source: Vineet Singh (Unsplash)