The world's shortest commercial runway, a 400-meter-long strip at Juancho E Irausquin Airport on the Carribbean island of Saba, has been named the world's most scenic airport approach in a global survey conducted by PrivateFly, a booking platform for private jet charters.
"Flying into Saba is extraordinary," says Adam Twidell, PrivateFly CEO and an experienced pilot. "You approach the mountainous island towering out of the sea, to see an impossibly tiny runway appear perched on a cliff."
Pilots must have special training to land at Saba and only certain turboprop aircraft such as the BN-2 Islander or Grand Caravan are agile enough to execute the necessary short stop.
"Saba has an exceptional safety record making it one of the most memorable civilian aviation experiences available anywhere in the world," Twidell adds.