Airplanes are a mode of conveyance that has become crucial to many people’s daily lives. Even if you are not a frequent flier, not having access to an airport within your country would sound like an absolute nightmare. Even in this age, there are countries where the people cannot fly anywhere unless they visit an airport of the nearby country.
There are thousands of airports and airfields in the world. According to the estimates of CIA, there are around 44,000 airports that are visible from the air. The bigger countries like the US and Australia have many airports, but we will have a look at those countries that have none.
*The word ‘countries’ here refers to any self-governing territories, even if they are too tiny.
1. Andorra
The tiny state of Andorra, landlocked between Spain and France, is the biggest country that has no airport. Measuring only 468 square kilometers in area, getting from one end of the country to the other is only a 40-kilometer drive. Just fitting an airport in there makes no sense at all. The country does have three heliports in La Massana, Arinsal, and Escaldes-Engordany. Surprisingly, there are two airlines based in Andorra, named Air Andorra and Andorra Airlines, despite having no airports.
2. Liechtenstein
This German-speaking principality of Liechtenstein is landlocked between Switzerland and Austria. The closest airport to the country is St. Gallen-Altenrhein Airport of Switzerland, offering flights to Vienna only. Your only options to get to this world’s sixth smallest independent country are a train, bus, or a car.
3. San Marino
The microstate San Marino in the Northcentral Italy is spread over 61 square kilometers. However, this land only has a heliport in Borgo Maggiore and a small runway airfield in Torraccia. The Federico Fellini International Airport in Italy is the closet, offering services to Moscow and Albania.
4. Monaco
Monaco is another one of the tiny European states with an area of only 2 square kilometers. The state has a heliport in Fontvieille that offers commercial services to the Nice Côte d’Azur Airport in France.
5. Vatican City
Vatican City, the smallest state in the world, spreads over a mere 0.44 square kilometers, and accommodates only a population of 451 people. The city lies at the heart of Rome, Italy’s capital, bearing no airports or highways. There is only one heliport that is used by the pope and the visiting heads of state.
The five states mentioned above are fully independent, but there are a few partially recognized states that have no airports of their own. These include the Sahrawi Republic in the Sahara and South Ossetia in Russia.
Palestine is another state that has no functional airport despite having four airports in the country. The Gaza International Airport used to be functional until it was destroyed by Israel in 2000.
Would you be able to live in a country that has no airport at all? Share with us in the comments’ section below.