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These are the most picturesque airport landings in the world

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Lord Howe Island Airport, Australia
Lord Howe Island Airport, Australia Wikimedia Commons / Wikimedia Commons

Travel usually focuses on the destination, from Costa Rica’s rainforests to Vermont’s Green Mountains. But what about the trip itself? When flying, there’s the whoosh of the jet engines and the limitless skies. At night, cities illuminate the darkness with their vast lighting networks. 

Though airports serve a purpose, they aren’t typically noted for their surroundings. However, on approach, some offer a view that’s a destination in itself. From mountains to oceans, gliding onto the tarmac is an ideal prelude to the vacation ahead. AllClear Travel Insurance studied passengers’ focus on the surroundings during landing to find the best.

The most beautiful airport runways in the world

Madeira Airport, Portugal
Madeira Airport, Portugal | Credit: Wikimedia Commons Wikimedia Commons / Wikimedia

To find the most beautiful runways, AllClear Travel Insurance studied how quickly runways caught participants’ attention and for how long. Using that data, AllClear determined the world’s most beautiful runways.

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Topping the list was Lord Howe Island Airport in Australia. Participants focused on the surroundings for 2.64 seconds, resulting in a score of 85/100. The island has a visitor limit of 400 and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Next was Queenstown Airport in New Zealand, scoring 79/100. To land, aircraft steeply descend around the mountains, with Lake Waketipu nearby.

Rounding out the top three was Portugal’s Madeira Airport, which scored 77/100. The approach is surrounded by cliffs, green mountains, and Levada trails. The Atlantic Ocean sits alongside, its blue water offering an oasis-like panorama.

The world’s top 20 most beautiful airport runways (via AllClear Travel Insurance):

RankAirport RunwayCountryAverage Time Spent Looking (seconds)Average Time to First Fixation (seconds)‘Eye-Catching’ Score /100
1Lord Howe Island AirportAustralia2.641.3785
2Queenstown AirportNew Zealand2.331.2379
3MadeiraPortugal2.532.0877
4Pitkin County AirportUSA2.21.1177
5Rio de Janeiro–Santos Dumont AirportBrazil1.750.6976
6London City AirportUnited Kingdom2.211.2276
7Innsbruck AirportAustria2.391.8874
8Paro AirportBhutan2.181.4872
9Juancho E. Yrausquin AirportNetherlands (Caribbean Netherlands)2.111.669
10Daniel K. Inouye International AirportUSA1.881.1168
11Lukla AirportNepal2.171.8968
12Seychelles International AirportSeychelles2.122.2565
13Telluride Regional AirportUSA1.91.4265
14Nice Côte d’Azur AirportFrance1.831.2665
15Wellington International AirportNew Zealand1.771.5960
16Billy Bishop Toronto City AirportCanada1.861.9660
17Gibraltar AirportGibraltar1.81.9159
18Queen Beatrix International AirportAruba1.822.3257
19Donegal AirportIreland1.832.4557
20Narsarsuaq AirportGreenland1.662.0854
Mark Reif
Mark Reif
Mark Reif is a storyteller focused on the intersection of outdoor culture, travel, and design. From the peaks of Banff to the…
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