One can't help but hang around at an airport when flying to a destination--even if it's for a short period of time. And for that brief period of time, an airport can either give you the best of experiences like Singapore's Changi Airport with its butterfly and orchid gardens and water slides among its many attractions or let you stare at two concrete grave markers at the Savannah/Hilton Head International Airport. From a runway that is also a part-time road to an airport bigger than a country, we bring you five most delightful (some may say unusual) airports in the world.
Princess Juliana International Airport, The Caribbeans
We all know about this airport. Princess Juliana International Airport is the main airport of the Caribbean island of Saint Martin and is an airport with a very low-altitude flyover. Due to its close proximity to Maho Beach, beach goers get to experience one of the most exciting landings ever. It's not everywhere that you get to experience the deafening sound of jet engines, jet blasts from up close and get a picture of the moment that you will be talking about for a long time. It's always wise to obey rules and be cautious.
Gibraltar International Airport, British Overseas Territory of Gibraltar
The airport serves both UK's Royal Air Force and commercial flights. What makes this airport unique is the fact that Gibraltar's busiest road, Winston Churchill Avenue, runs right through it. As long as people obey airport and traffic rules, it's all good at Gibraltar International Airport. The roads get blocked before every take-off and landing. Anyone else wondering what the traffic situation might be during those hours
Savannah/Hilton Head International Airport, Georgia, USA
This airport's runway runs right through a family plot with graves intact. One of the two graves even dates back to 1857. The family plot happened to be in the way of runway extension project but the Dotson family didn't want to disturb the graves so now there are two concrete grave markers on the western end of the runway.
Barra Airport, Scotland
No paved runways No problem. They have their beach. Travellers flying to Barra island in western coast of Scotland have landed on the beach which is also Barra Airport's runway. The functionality of the runway is dependent on the tide and the incoming tides tend to wash away the runway. If your flight gets rescheduled, don't fret, it's just because of the tide.
Dammam King Fahd International Airport, Saudi Arabia
You can expect new definition of grand when it comes to Saudi Arabia. Take their airport for instance. Dammam King Fahd International Airport is the largest airport when we speak of size. So much so that the airport is larger than Bahrain. Speaking of size, the airport's mosque is massive enough to fit thousands and the Royal Terminal is dedicated to service only the Royal Family.
