Lois Larson
The world's northernmost airport is a topic of much curiosity, especially for adventurous fliers. While the military outpost of Alert, on the northern tip of Ellesmere Island in Canada, is the world's northernmost inhabited settlement and home to an airfield, it is off-bounds for the general public. The title of the farthest north airport accessible to the public goes to Svalbard Airport, Longyear, on the Norwegian archipelago of Svalbard, located roughly halfway between the North Pole and the European mainland.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Name | Svalbard Airport, Longyear |
| Location | Norwegian archipelago of Svalbard |
| Owner | Avinor |
| Elevation | 88 feet (27 meters) |
| Runway Length | 8,146 feet (2,483 kilometers) |
| Airlines | Norwegian Air, Scandinavian Airlines, and SAS Scandinavian Airlines |
| Nearest Airport | Tromsø Airport |
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What You'll Learn
The northernmost airport is Svalbard Airport, Longyear, Norway
The world's northernmost airport with scheduled public flights is Svalbard Airport, Longyear, Norway. It is located on the Norwegian island of Svalbard, around halfway between the North Pole and mainland Europe. The airport is owned and operated by the state-owned Avinor and serves as a gateway to the Russian settlement of Barentsburg, which is under Norwegian sovereignty.
Svalbard Airport first opened in 1975, replacing a smaller airport that could only operate for a few months each year. The airport has an elevation of 88 feet (27 meters) and its runway is 8,146 feet (2,483 kilometers) long, equipped with an instrument landing system. Norwegian Air and SAS Scandinavian Airlines offer scheduled services to the airport via Tromsø Airport to Oslo Gardermoen.
While Svalbard Airport is the northernmost airport with regular commercial flights, there are more northern airfields that are not served by public airlines. The military outpost of Alert, on the northern tip of Ellesmere Island in the Nunavut territory of Canada, is the world's northernmost permanently inhabited settlement and has an airfield. However, it is only accessible by the general public via a twice-yearly military supply flight.
In terms of extreme airports, the world's southernmost airport with regular commercial traffic is Guardiamarina Zañartu at Puerto Williams, on the southern tip of Chile. The airport primarily serves as a military airfield, but small local airlines offer infrequent flights to Punta Arenas in Chilean Patagonia.
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Alert Airport, Canada, is the northernmost airfield
Svalbard Airport is located around halfway between the North Pole and the European mainland. It is owned and operated by state-owned Avinor and serves the Norwegian island while also acting as a gateway to the Russian settlement of Barentsburg. Norwegian Air and SAS Scandinavian Airlines operate scheduled services to Svalbard via Tromsø Airport to Oslo Gardermoen.
While Svalbard is the northernmost airport with scheduled public flights, the Russians have occasionally landed airliners right next to the North Pole. For instance, Antonov An-74 aircraft operated by Russian airline Utair use a makeshift runway on the drifting ice during their supply runs to Ice Camp Barneo.
In August 1996, a Vnukovo Airlines flight operated by a Tupolev Tu-154M crashed into a mountain close to Svalbard Airport, killing all 141 people on board.
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The southernmost airport with regular commercial traffic is in Chile
While the military outpost of Alert on the northern tip of Ellesmere Island in Canada is the world's northernmost airfield, the farthest north you can get on a regular commercial flight is Svalbard Airport, Longyear, on the Norwegian archipelago of Svalbard. However, if you're looking to travel south, the southernmost airport with regular commercial traffic is Guardiamarina Zañartu at Puerto Williams, on the southern tip of Chile.
Located on the north shore of Navarino Island, Guardiamarina Zañartu Airport (Spanish: Aeropuerto Guardia Marina Zañartu) is the world's southernmost airport with regular scheduled flights. The airport serves the Magallanes Region and is positioned across the Beagle Channel from Argentina. With regular scheduled domestic flights to Punta Arenas and occasional charter flights, it is the southernmost airport in the world with commercial operations.
The airport is maintained by the General Directorate of Civil Aviation of Chile (DGAC Chile) and sits at an elevation of 88 feet (27 meters). Its asphalt runway, 08/26, is 4,724 feet (1,440 meters) long and is located on a small peninsula running parallel to the island's shore. Approaches to either end of the runway are partially over the water, with mountainous terrain to the north and south.
While Guardiamarina Zañartu Airport may be the southernmost airport with regular commercial traffic, it is worth noting that the nearby Argentinian city of Ushuaia, just across the Beagle Channel from Puerto Williams, can claim to be the major air gateway to this remote region. The Ushuaia International Airport enjoys more frequent long-distance jet services to the mainland.
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The world's happiest airport is Exeter Airport, UK
Exeter Airport: The World's Happiest Airport
While you might associate air travel with stress and frustration, one airport in southwest England has been named the happiest in the world. Exeter Airport, a small terminal handling fewer than a million passengers a year, has been ranked as the happiest airport in terms of customer experience.
The Finnish company HappyOrNot, which is behind the globally-recognisable 'Smiley' feedback system, published an Airport Report based on 158 million data points from its terminals in 160 airports across 36 countries. The report revealed that Exeter Airport had a satisfaction rating of 88.66%, 12% higher than the global average of 76.52%.
Exeter Airport's managing director, Matt Roach, attributed the high rating to the hard work of the airport's staff: "Our staff do their very best to ease the journey for travellers, and this shows in the consistently high positive ratings." The airport's communications manager, Stephen Ayres, also noted that Exeter Airport has been seeing increasing numbers of tourists from mainland Europe.
While Exeter Airport may not be the largest or most bustling airport, its focus on providing a positive and convenient experience for its passengers has paid off. The recognition as the world's happiest airport is a testament to the dedication of its staff and management.
The Farthest North Airport
When it comes to the northernmost airport in the world, it is the military outpost of Alert on the northern tip of Ellesmere Island in the Nunavut territory of Canada. However, this airfield is not accessible to the general public. For those seeking to venture far north by commercial flight, the Svalbard Airport, Longyear, on the Norwegian archipelago of Svalbard, offers a more accessible option. It is located roughly halfway between the North Pole and the European mainland.
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The world's shortest runway is at Juancho E Irausquin Airport, Saba
The world's northernmost airport with regular commercial flights is Svalbard Airport, Longyear, on the Norwegian archipelago of Svalbard, located roughly halfway between the North Pole and mainland Europe. However, the farthest north airfield on Earth is the military outpost of Alert, on the northern tip of Ellesmere Island in the Nunavut territory of Canada. This outpost is the world's northernmost permanently inhabited settlement, but it is off-limits to the general public.
Now, if you are referring to the world's shortest runway, that would be at Juancho E Irausquin Airport, Saba, which is also the only airport on the Caribbean island of Saba. The runway is only 1,300 feet long, or 400 meters, with only 900 feet of that length being usable. It is flanked by high hills and ends on both sides in cliffs that drop into the sea. Landing on this runway has been likened to landing "a bird on a postage stamp." Only an elite group of specially trained pilots can fly into the island, and Sint Maarten-based Winair is the only airline operating scheduled flights to and from the airport. The most common aircraft to land there are the de Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otter and Britten-Norman BN-2 Islander, due to their STOL (short takeoff and landing) capabilities.
The idea of building an airport on Saba is credited to Remy de Haenen, a Dutch national who had previously made several landings in a seaplane off Fort Bay Harbour on the island in 1946. De Haenen identified Flat Point as the ideal site for the airport, and after the land was cleared and graded, he landed an aircraft on the island on February 9, 1959, to the awe of almost the entire population of the island. However, he was prohibited from making further landings until 1962, when the lack of an airport became a political issue. Two politicians in the parliament of the Netherlands Antilles, Claude Wathey and Juancho Irausquin, supported the construction of an airport and lobbied the Dutch government for funding. The airport was named after Irausquin, who, unfortunately, died a year before it opened in 1963.
Today, the runway at Juancho E Irausquin Airport is still considered one of the most extreme airports in the world, a holy grail for aviation enthusiasts, and a lifeline for the people of Saba.
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Frequently asked questions
Svalbard Airport, Longyear, on the Norwegian archipelago of Svalbard, is the world's northernmost airport with scheduled public flights.
The northernmost airport in the world that is commercially operated is also Svalbard Airport, Longyear.
The Alert Airport in the Nunavut territory of Canada is the world's northernmost airfield and is a military outpost. However, it is out of bounds for the general public.
