This Island Has the Most Lovely Airport Touchdown within the World—and the Runway Begins within the Ocean

Descending into an airport surrounded by mountain peaks or bookended by Caribbean-blue water is much less an arrival and extra a gradual, cinematic unveiling. Arrivals like these are nearer to a scenic flyover than a business flight, offering a glimpse—and in some instances a climax—to the wonder that’s to return.

Should you’ve ever questioned which flight routes are value reserving merely for the view, you’ve come to the appropriate place. The staff at AllClear Journey Insurance coverage used eye-tracking expertise to find out which airports all over the world most catch and maintain peoples’ consideration.

Within the March 2025 research, one airport rose to the highest: Lord Howe Island Airport (LDH) each captured and held viewers’ consideration—and if you happen to take a look at a photograph, you’ll see why. The airport is situated on Lord Howe Island within the Tasman Sea between Australia and New Zealand. Along with its volcanic island environment, the airport runway stretches absolutely throughout the narrowest a part of the island so the runway begins on the ocean and ends at a golden sprawl of sand. The runway is, fairly merely, stunning. 

Within the case of Lord Howe Island Airport, the possibility to reach there may be half the magic. The island is a UNESCO World Heritage Web site that solely permits 400 guests on the island at a time to minimize the human influence on the panorama and endemic species. The one technique to entry the remoted oceanic island is by aircraft, which takes you to the gorgeous airport that so captured viewers’ consideration.

Methodology
The successful airports had been decided by 100 members all over the world who took half in an eye-tracking research that analyzed which runways caught their consideration the quickest and the way lengthy each held their consideration. The entire record of worldwide airports was pared right down to 32 airports with a longtime fame for providing in-plane passenger views. Within the research, members spent extra time admiring the Lord Howe Island Airport view than another airport touchdown they had been proven: viewers spent 2.64 seconds on common, incomes the touchdown a complete eye-catching rating of 85 out of 100.

The second most stunning airport touchdown on this planet, in response to the research, was New Zealand’s Queenstown Worldwide Airport (ZQN), which requires pilots to navigate a steep descent by dramatic mountains. At No. 3, Pitkin County Airport (ASE) in Aspen, Colorado tied with Madeira Airport (FNC) in Portugal.

The total record of the world’s 20 most stunning airport landings is under:

1. Lord Howe Island Airport — Australia 

2. Queenstown Airport — New Zealand 

3. (tie) Madeira — Portugal 

3. (tie) Pitkin County Airport — USA 

5. (tie) Rio de Janeiro–Santos Dumont Airport (SDU)— Brazil 

5. (tie) London Metropolis Airport (LCY)— United Kingdom 

7. Innsbruck Airport (INN) — Austria 

8. Paro Worldwide Airport (PBH) — Bhutan 

9. Juancho E. Yrausquin Airport (SAB) — Netherlands (Caribbean Netherlands) 

10. (tie) Daniel Ok. Inouye Worldwide Airport (HNL) — USA 

10. (tie) Lukla Airport (LUA) — Nepal 

12. (tie) Seychelles Worldwide Airport (SEZ)— Seychelles 

12. (tie) Telluride Regional Airport (TEX) — USA 

12. (tie) Good Côte d’Azur Airport (NCE) — France 

15. (tie) Wellington Worldwide Airport (WLG) — New Zealand 

15. (tie) Billy Bishop Toronto Metropolis Airport (YTZ) — Canada 

17. Gibraltar Worldwide Airport (GIB) — Gibraltar

18. (tie) Queen Beatrix Worldwide Airport (AUA) — Aruba 

18. (tie) Donegal Airport (CFN) — Eire 

20. Narsarsuaq Worldwide Airport (UAK) — Greenland