Around the world, it is estimated that more than 100,000 flights take off and land every day, but some airport landings are more difficult to navigate than others resulting in what can be a thrilling, but nail-biting experience for passengers. Nestled on the island of Madeira, Cristiano Ronaldo International Airport informally known as Funchal Airport, is home to one of the most spectacular runways in the world.
The runway sits on the very edge of the island, surrounded by deep blue waters on one side and a rugged landscape on the other. The runway is known for being particularly perilous due to its construction and accompanying weather.
It received the Outstanding Structure Award in 2004 by the International Association for Bridge and Structural Engineering but was also named the ninth most dangerous airport in the world and the third most dangerous in Europe by the History Channel programme Most Extreme Airports.
This is perhaps why it has been ranked as the “most exciting” landing in the world for those who enjoy flying. Arguably, if you’re a nervous flyer, it might have you clinging onto your seat in certain situations.
Data compiled by Prime Casino found that footage of the landing received thousands of searches and views on YouTube every year, with flight enthusiasts keen to catch a glimpse of pilots in action.
“Funchal in Madeira takes the top spot as the airport with the most exciting landing,” said the report.
“Due to the complexity of landing at Funchal, pilots require special training and certification, which may help to explain the interest in the airport’s landings on Google with a total of 79,340 searches.
“Alongside this, the airport is situated on the edge of the island overlooking the Atlantic Ocean, the runway, which had to be extended, is set in spectacular views but pilots often experience challenging weather conditions. Landings at the airport have racked up 35,000,000 YouTube views.”
Earlier this year, in March, footage of a difficult flight landing went viral. The footage shows a TAP Air Portugal Airbus being thrown around in strong gusts of wind as the pilot tries to navigate safely down to the runway.
The aircraft could be seen swerving from side to side as the pilot attempted to balance before its nose was pulled up by the vigorous winds.
Despite this, the pilot’s expertise meant that it was able to make a safe yet bouncing landing, skidding down the runway with a cloud of smoke appearing behind it. The video was uploaded to the Madeira Airport Spotting YouTube channel, with one commenter proclaiming: “This is for sure the wildest landing ever at Madeira Airport!”
Flight crew flying to and from the airport must take specialist training to ensure they can navigate the sometimes turbulent crosswinds and unique runway.