The quality of experience for pilots can significantly differ among airports. Some might be easier to navigate, while others can be troublesome.
A user asked the forum, “Pilots, what is your least favorite airport?” Here are the top responses.
JIGALONG
“Jigalong in outback Western Australia. Too many rocks. It’s not the worst airport in the world, but it’s not great either.”
MONTREAL
“Montreal. The controllers can’t handle more than two airplanes at once, and they speak French to the locals, so you can’t tell what’s happening.”
NORFOLK INTERNATIONAL
“KORF(Norfolk International) is weird to land at. Heavy crosswinds often occur because it is right on the water, and you must grab the plane. It isn’t so bad, but it’s not enjoyable, especially for passengers.”
LAGUARDIA
“LaGuardia. Hands down.
It’s a complete pain from 18,000 feet until you’re at the gate. Unfortunately, it doesn’t stop there.
The airport is packed. The food hurts, and it’s insanely expensive. There are people everywhere. It’s old.”
LOS ANGELES INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT
“Although my home airport, LAX (Los Angeles International Airport), is a pain. The airport has been a construction zone for as long as I can remember, with no end in sight.”
CHARLOTTE
“ATP (Airline Transport Pilot) here. I’m surprised no one has said Charlotte, North Carolina. Congested and massive taxi delays for no reason other than a layout and incompetence on the part of ramp controllers.”
GEORGETOWN AIRPORT
“Georgetown airport. I dislike it so much because:
- It’s on a mountain
- One end of the runway ends on a cliff
- The other end is 10 feet from some trees
- The runway has an incline
JOHN WAYNE AIRPORT
“I travel often for work, and I have heard pilots hate John Wayne Airport and that it’s dangerous to fly out of. Luckily, that’s my choice of airport.”
LONDON CITY AIRPORT
“My father is a pilot and thoroughly dislikes London City Airport.”
KONA HAWAII
“Kona Hawaii. There is so much plane traffic that they mess over us choppers and make us hover for ages waiting for takeoff. We could depart from the ramp easily, but nope. Hold.”
TORONTO PEARSON INTERNATIONAL
“Toronto Pearson International. Yes, this airport is massive, but the second it gets windy or they get a millimeter of snow, the whole place goes to trash. There are cancellations and delays everywhere. 2 days ago, 200 flights were canceled due to a bit of wind.
Last week we landed 5 hours late because of some snow. I counted at least 20 planes waiting for the gates when we landed. Some had been waiting for 2+ hours. Not to mention, the landing fees are insane.”
QUITO
“I landed in Quito, Ecuador, once. It took three attempts because of the fog and the crazy location.”
TETERBORO
“Teterboro, New Jersey. It doesn’t help that I have to go there at least twice every trip.”
SAINT JOHN’S INTERNATIONAL
“I’m not a pilot, but pilots told me I know that if you can land in Saint John’s International in Newfoundland, you can land anywhere.”
MIAMI INTERNATIONAL
“Miami International (MIA) in the summer.
It’s the gateway to Latin America, so only some pilots speak and understand English. I find myself translating sometimes when they don’t miss their call signs.
There is too much traffic in and out all year round. There are four major airports within a 40-40-mile radius, and holding patterns, guaranteed you have, are crowded.”
CHARLESTON
“Charleston, West Virginia. The end is on a mountain, so you can do a 180 on the edge.
I can emotionally accept a crash landing; I have real trouble with a crash after landing.”
KAI TAK
“Before it was decommissioned, Kai Tak airport was the most dangerous large airport in the world to land at because it was basically in the heart of Hong Kong. It required specialized training. Pilots had to take a course to be allowed to land there!”
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This article was originally published on Mrs. Daaku Studio.