Island Airports: Engineering Aviation on Limited Land

Islands present some of aviation's greatest engineering challenges. Land is scarce, terrain is often dramatic, and the sea is always close. The result is a collection of airports that rank among the most remarkable — and most challenging — in the world.

Madeira Airport: A runway on pillars

Funchal (FNC) on the island of Madeira was for decades considered one of the world's most dangerous airports. Its original runway was too short for modern jets, hemmed in by cliffs on one end and the Atlantic on the other. The solution: extend the runway on concrete pillars over the ocean, effectively creating a bridge runway that added 1,000 meters of usable length. Today it accommodates wide-body jets and hosts Europe's top airline pilots for biennial recertification at the approach.

Hong Kong International: Built from the sea

Hong Kong International Airport (HKG) occupies an artificial island created by leveling a natural island and filling in the surrounding shallow sea. Completed in 1998, the airport required moving 300 million cubic meters of material — one of the largest land reclamation projects in history. The result is one of Asia's busiest airports, handling over 70 million passengers annually before the pandemic.

Other notable island airports

• GIB — Gibraltar Airport, where the runway crosses an active public road
• LPA — Gran Canaria Airport, serving one of the Canary Islands
• MLE — Velana International, Maldives, on a coral atoll