12 of the world’s most unique airport runways, with Don Mueang on the list

When people think of airport runways, the image that usually comes to mind is a long, flat strip of asphalt stretching endlessly into the horizon. But hidden in Bangkok is one of the world’s most extraordinary runways, Don Mueang Airport, which has earned global recognition for a rather unusual reason.

CNN recently ranked some of the world’s most remarkable airport runways, and Don Mueang proudly made the list thanks to its 18-hole golf course nestled between two active runways.

Of course, Don Mueang isn’t alone. Across the world, there are airports that redefine the flying experience, from landings on sandy beaches to approaches over man-made islands in the middle of the ocean. 

Here are 12 runways that make air travel unforgettable:

1. Barra Airport (BRR), Scotland

The only airport in the world where scheduled flights land directly on a beach. Pilots time their landings to the tide, touching down on the sands of Traigh Mhòr before passengers stroll across the shore to reach the tiny terminal.

2. Hong Kong International Airport (HKG), Hong Kong

Built on an immense man-made island, Hong Kong’s airport replaced the legendary but treacherous Kai Tak. With aircraft gliding over open water before touching down, the approach feels like a landing at sea.

3. Don Mueang International Airport (DMK), Thailand

No need to travel far: Bangkok’s Don Mueang is famous worldwide for its golf course wedged neatly between two runways. While no fences separate the fairways from the taxiways, red warning lights signal golfers to pause every time a plane lands. Today, the airport remains a vital hub for low-cost carriers and a truly unique landmark in aviation.

4. Sumburgh Airport (LSI), Scotland

Here, the only road to the Viking archaeological site of Jarlshof cuts across the runway itself. Cars and buses are halted by barriers each time a plane takes off or lands.

5. Amata Kabua International Airport (MAJ), Marshall Islands

The runway nearly spans the entire width of the island. As aircraft descend, passengers see the island’s main road running alongside the runway, framed by turquoise seas on both sides.

6. Genoa Cristoforo Colombo Airport (GOA), Italy

With land scarce, Genoa extended a peninsula into the Mediterranean to build its airport. The approach can feel heart-stopping, with planes appearing to skim the waves before touching solid ground.

7. Gibraltar International Airport (GIB), Gibraltar

Here, the runway doubles as a city street. Winston Churchill Avenue, the main road into town, crosses directly through the tarmac, forcing cars and pedestrians to stop at red lights whenever planes arrive or depart.

8. Bora Bora Airport (BOB), French Polynesia

Set on a small islet within a turquoise lagoon, the airport requires travellers to take a boat to their hotels after landing, an unforgettable start to a Pacific island holiday.

9. Kansai International Airport (KIX), Japan

A masterpiece of Japanese engineering, Kansai is located three miles offshore on an artificial island near Osaka. Designed by world-renowned architect Renzo Piano, it has been hailed as a civil engineering monument of the millennium.

10. Nauru International Airport (INU), Nauru

On the world’s third-smallest nation, the airport runway forms part of everyday life. The island’s ring road intersects with both ends of the runway, and traffic routinely pauses for arriving and departing flights.

11. Chubu Centrair International Airport (NGO), Japan

Another Japanese artificial island airport, Chubu near Nagoya was purpose-built as a logistics hub for the auto industry. The island also features a convention centre and an aviation-themed park.

12. Velana International Airport (VIA), Maldives

In the island nation of the Maldives, Velana’s runway sits beside shimmering blue waters, while four additional “water runways” serve seaplanes. Passengers may witness jets and seaplanes taking off side by side, a breathtaking sight unique to the tropics.