There are terrifyingly short runways, a runway shared by three countries, the largest runway in the world, but none quite compare to the steepest.
Located on the side of a mountain in the middle of a ski field is a landing spot so steep and so short that pilots must get it right on their first go or risk scary consequences.
Named the Courchevel Altiport, the French Alps airport is one of the ‘hardest’ in the world to land due to its short 537-metre length and 18.6% gradient.
For context, Heathrow Airport has two runways – the Northern Runway and the Southern Runway, which measure 3,902 metres and 3,658 metres long respectively (almost 9 times the size of the single one at Courchevel Altiport).
As for gradients, most airports have an average runway gradient of 1-3%, so it’s really no surprise that Courchevel Altiport requires special training to land at, as well as a special plane.
If you’re an aviation enthusiast, you’ll already know that the length of the runway indicates the types of planes that land there.
Where large aircraft typically land on large runways, the one at Courchevel Altiport is reserved for small aircrafts, most of which are private jets or helicopters.
As well as the small runway, a smaller plane is easier to navigate the landing spot as it is surrounded by mountainous terrain, making it nearly impossible to implement a circle-around procedure if the pilot can’t get the landing right.
Just last year, a private jet flying in from Brussels skidded off the runway, resulting in minor injuries to both pilots and one wing of the plane being torn off during landing.
In 2019, another plane couldn’t stop by the time it reached the end of the runway and ended up hitting the snow berm. Again, injuries were minor.
But don’t let this put you off, as if you’re planning a visit to the French Alps and have a spare wad of cash lying around, landing on this runway is an experience not to be missed.
Before you even touch down, you’ll be the star of the show – or should we say ski field – as the runway is above the villages of Courchevel and right in the middle of the slopes, meaning all eyes are on you as you land.
Even better, once you do land safely, you’ve got an impressive activity menu of options to choose from.
Within minutes of stepping off the plane, you can grab your ski gear and go for a run down the slopes, or head straight to your chalet or hotel for a meal, a drink or even a spa session.
And it’s all thanks to Michel Ziegler, who came up with the idea of the Courchevel Altiport, opening the first mountain airport of its type to planes in 1961.
Despite its intimidating location, the airport had only seen nine incidents in its over 60 years of business and one death, which occurred in 2021 when the plane struck an embankment above the runway, resulting in the undercarriage being torn off and the plane being engulfed in flames.
In addition to being a landing spot, Courchevel Altiport has also been used as the finish line of Tour de France stages multiple times over the years, including in 2023, making it a must-visit spot for many different types of sports fans.
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