71. Akureyri Airport – Iceland
Year of construction: 1928
Risk factors: Turbulence, wind, location between mountains
The Iceland Review and the Akureyri Airport got into a bit of a written-word scuffle over this. The Iceland Review said that Akureyri was one of the world’s most dangerous airports, pointing out that it was classified as a “Category C” by flight operators. Category C requires that pilots undergo special training in order to land there.
Akureyri Airport – Iceland ©Mario Hagen / Shutterstock.com
Public relations for Isavia, an airline operator, took exception to that. According to the PR spokesperson, Guðni Sigurðsson, the categories weren’t as meaningful as the Iceland Review made them out to be. However, it is undeniable that Akureyri is located between the mountains, which means winds and turbulence are factors during landing.