For the window-seat watchers who prefer gazing outside as your destination comes into focus before touchdown, this Australian island airport has been named the world’s most eye-catching airport, landing above those that feature snowy peaks and famous landmarks.
AllClear travel insurance experts used eye-tracking technology to see which of the world’s most impressive airport runways captured the attention of flyers first and then held it longest.
World’s most eye-catching airport landings
The tiny and remote Lord Howe Island Airport topped the list with an eye-catching airport landing score of 85, thanks to its runway between the green mountains and Tasman Sea.
With just 400 visitors on the isle at any time via domestic flights only, travellers to Lord Howe Island touch down in the middle of a UNESCO World Heritage Site, making for an unforgettable landing.
Queenstown Airport came in second with passengers descending into the NZ South Island hub between snow-capped mountains and over Lake Wakatipu for a breathtaking landing.
Portugal’s Madeira Airport, officially Cristiano Ronaldo International Airport, and the Pitkin County Airport in Aspen, Colorado, tied for third place for the most eye-catching airport landing.
Madeira Airport aka Funchal Airport in the island archipelago is renowned for its challenging descent and tricky manoeuvres due to high winds, mountains, ocean and a short runway, while Pitkin County Airport in Aspen offers passengers the chance to see the Rocky Mountains as they land.
Rounding out the top five list of eye-catching airport landings and tying for fifth spot are Rio de Janeiro-Santos Dumont Airport and London City Airport.
The landing at London City Airport is particularly notable as it provides a cityscape descent, where flyers can spot famous landmarks such as The Shard, Tower Bridge and the London Eye.
Other notable landings in the top 10 list include a mix of dramatic mountain and island descents, such as Innsbruck Airport in Austria, Bhutan’s Paro Airport, Juancho E. Yrausquin Airport on Saba in the Caribbean and Hawai’i’s Daniel K. Inouye International Airport in Honolulu.
