72. Ataturk Airport – Istanbul, Turkey
Year of construction: 1911
Risk factors: Terrorism, governmental instability
Ataturk Airport is located in Istanbul. It was once an intercontinental passenger hub, but it closed to flights in 2019, when air traffic was moved to the Istanbul Airport, which was much newer. Now, Ataturk is open for maintenance, cargo, air taxis, and business flights.
Ataturk Airport – Istanbul, Turkey ©Markus Mainka / Shutterstock.com
Unlike a lot of airports on this list, Ataturk’s reason for being dangerous isn’t related to short runways or high winds. The airport has been the scene of terroristic attacks and attempted coup d’etat attempts. In 2016, three gunmen killed forty-four civilians in a terrorist attack. One month after that horrific tragedy, a coup d’etat took place, and pro-government and military forces battled over the airport during that time.