What's the most obscure airport you've visited?

[Beano]

KIH - Kish Island, Iran
OMAS - Das Island, UAE

DAS Island for me.

 

[Assassin]

Not even a shed but there are many scheduled daily flights in the dry season…



Skukuza airport (SZK) which is set within Kruger National Park is pretty cool too.

 

[jezzster]

My most obscure would be Pantelleria (PNL) which is a volcanic island part way between Sicily and Tunisia.

 

[Beano]

I'm thinking there must be many remote airfields (not airports) with scheduled flights around the word. There are several in the Shetland, Fair Isle and the islands of the Scottish west coast. There will be others. Little more than grassy strips.

 

[BRODUN]

As per the thread title - what was the most out-there airport you've flown into or out of?

I realise the term "obscure" is subjective, as an airport in a small city in Zimbabwe (for example) is probably not that obscure for the people living there. But for the purposes of this thread, I wonder if anyone's been to an airport that no other AFF members have visited?

This doesn't necessarily need to have been on a commercial flight. An obscure airport could, for example, be a little-used airport in a major city such as Biggin Hill in London (which I have not been to and has no commercial flights).

If I think about some of the more obscure airports I've visited, ones that come to mind include Shymkent (CIT), Horta (HOR), Yellowknife (YZF) or Stewart Island/Oban (SZS).

Majuro in the Marchall islands

 

[BRODUN]

Kwajalein in the Marshall Islands. You land there but are not allowed to disembark, unless you are a member of the US armed forces.

 

[edawnedsram]

RHR9+GX Hanga Roa, Easter Island, Chile

 

[infrequent_jim]

In Oz - YCKN Cooktown Qld, elsewhere KMCE Merced California. There were a couple of remote tourist 'heliports', but apparently, they don't count.

 

[Anna]

SAB

 

[Prince of Persia]

Few airports I have been fortunate to fly in and out of - early 2000's - all in southern Tanzania

Mtwara - Mtwara Airport - Wikipedia

Lindi - Lindi Airport - Wikipedia

Nachingwea - Nachingwea Airport - Wikipedia

 

[p--and--t]

A few obscure or at least different for me.

Internationally

• Victoria Falls Zambia several years back where upon landing from J'burg we walked across to be "processed" to an un-airconditioned tin shed that wasn't large enough for all passengers to enter at once. I googled it today and an unrecognisable massive upgrade since I was there.
• Rapid City USA somewhere a bit different to the usual airports on AFF.
• Galapagos Islands

Domestically

• Leigh Creek SA, a looooong time ago when it was a busy thriving coal town; can hardly even remember the experience.
• Penneshaw Kangaroo Island on a little 4 seater. Again a long time ago.
• Balaklava Airport (SA) - in an glider

Runways I've been on but not landed on

• Althorpe Island SA (arrived and departed by boat and flying fox). More of a landing strip than an airport.
• Gilbraltar - bizarre setup.

 

[SydneySwan]

AIT - Aitutaki in the Cook Islands.

Not really obscure but as others have said Gibraltar is the only airport I have been to where road traffic is stopped to let the plane use the runway.

 

[Kiwi_Flyer]

I've been to some airports mentioned in this thread.

I expect others have also flown to my most obscure airports. NZOX for domestic, EBL for international.

 

[93Revisited]

Many years ago I flew in and out of Girua Airport (PNP) which services Popondetta in Papua New Guinea. It was so long ago the flight was on a Talco DC3!

 

[Fifa]

A few obscure or at least different for me.

Domestically

• Leigh Creek SA, a looooong time ago when it was a busy thriving coal town; can hardly even remember the experience.

We lived in Leigh Creek for four years many moons ago and I flew in and out quite a few times.

 

[bookworm]

Chitina 'airport' CXC - Alaska

My husband and I flew from here to McCarthy to stay at Kennicot Glacier Lodge.

There was just a gravel landing strip ; a porta loo and a closed up trailer. No human beings. We were shocked.

Eventually a few cars drove in and parked.
Soon after a few small planes flew in, dropped off guests and collected .


We also flew from Lake Hood seaplane base to Lake Clarke. I remember the plane crossed over roads before getting to the runway. We landed on a beach. (And were met by some bears)

 

[nancypants]

YYAY (Yinyikay or Nyinyikay)- on the mainland “near” Elcho island or Gove

Or if you want to get really obscure, the 2 Andamookas (where the new airstrip is marked closed but the “old” one is not- neither serviceable YAMK





Or for truly obscure, Mintabie YMIB, which I don’t even have a photo of (only a video)

 

[gaz0303]

Great Keppel Island (YGKL). A boy picked us up from our connecting QF flight to ROK in an old van, drove us round to the light aircraft, then became the pilot.

 

[kgreenuq]

Innisfail, Ingham, Bowen etc on a DC3 Cairns-Brisbane milkrun with Ansett or TAA in 1957. Then there was the skiplane landing in a snowfield at the top of Mt Cook (NZ).

 

[k_sheep]

Hmm few interesting landings on my RFDS stint! Ploughed paddock of the back of nowhere count?

For an actual airport ... tame but probably just Tioman Island in malaysia. International - you walk off the plane, past the old (unmanned) rickety desk with a folded piece of cardboard saying "CUSTOMS' then wait near the runway to get your bag direct off the plane. Oh and handwritten boarding passes on the return journey!