69. Queenstown Airport – Queenstown, New Zealand
Year of construction: 1935
Risk factors: Downdraughts, turbulence, windshear, poor runway conditions
At New Zealand’s Queenstown Airport, four airlines are in operation: Qantas, Jetstar, Air New Zealand, and Virgin Australia. Queenstown Airport is the fourth-busiest airport in the country, according to passenger traffic, and, in 2018, it handled 2.25 million passengers. The airport serves Queenstown, a resort town in New Zealand that is very popular with tourists.
Queenstown Airport – Queenstown, New Zealand ©Zane Vergara / Shutterstock.com
Despite its popularity, Queenstown Airport is not without its challenges. FlightPlan2050 said the airport sat at the “worst possible end” of flying’s “safety spectrum” because of downdraughts, wind shear, and severe turbulence. In addition to those hazards, the runway conditions can rapidly deteriorate, thanks to ice, slush, and snow.