Amsterdam : We are going to tell you about an airport with a runway length of only 400 meters. Here, a small mistake can mean a big accident. The plane will go straight into the sea.
The airport we are talking about is called Juancho E. Yrausquin Airport, located on Saba Island in the Netherlands. The runway of this commercial airport is not only short, but it is also built on the edge of the sea and cliffs. In such a situation, there is a risk of the plane crashing into the sea due to a small mistake. Pilots with a weak heart cannot land their planes here, because landing here requires not only courage, but also skill. It is considered the scariest landing in the world.
Even though this airport is commercial, passenger planes also land here. Passengers who arrive by plane can often be seen wearing a shirt on this island that says “I Survived the Saba Landing”. Let us tell you that landing at this airport requires a group of specially trained pilots. However, taking off from the airport is just as exciting as landing a plane, because passengers hold their breath as the plane accelerates down the cliff. Passengers are only able to breathe a sigh of relief when the plane reaches the end of the cliff and runway and takes off into the air in seconds.
However, landing a plane at this airport is no less than a movie stunt. It can only be done by an adrenaline junkie and experienced aviator Captain Roger Hodge is one of them. Adrenaline refers to the hormone that controls the body’s physical state in stress. Captain Roger Hodge told CNN, “I love going to Saba as a pilot, because it’s only when you go there that you use your experience to the fullest.
While doing this, you are being watched by the passengers and the people on the ground, but you just have to fly that machine.”
The first person to land on this short runway was an ambitious aviator Remy de Haenen. He made the first landing on Saba Island on February 9, 1959. The entire city was present to witness this historic moment. Since then, planes have been landing continuously. This small island has a total population of 1990, while more than 9,000 tourists visit here every year.
This airport is a lifeline for Saba, as it is used to take locals for medical treatment and bring visitors from the other side. It is known that there is a limit on the runway of any airport for an airplane to take off and land. According to that, any airport is built. It is very important to take care of this from a security point of view. The runway of most airports around the world is from at least 1.8 kilometers to 4 kilometers.
Bhupendra Singh Chundawat is a seasoned technology journalist with over 22 years of experience in the media industry. He specializes in covering the global technology landscape, with a deep focus on manufacturing trends and the geopolitical impact on tech companies. Currently serving as the Editor at Udaipur Kiran, his insights are shaped by decades of hands-on reporting and editorial leadership in the fast-evolving world of technology.
