World's Most Difficult Runways For Takeoffs And Landings

4. Tenzing-Hillary Airport, Lukla, Nepal

There is no room for pilot error on either approach or take-off at this airport, which resides near to the Himalayas. Due to the high altitude nature of the newly named airport (it is named in honour of the first men to have climbed Mount Everest) the approach requires the pilot to navigate a tight route through the mighty mountain range. Once this has been overcome, to avoid crashing into the mountainous wall of rock that is situated at the end of the runway, on touchdown the propellers must be thrust into reverse.

Take-off is just as nerve wracking, if not worse. When an aircraft makes its way down the sloping runway, it must build enough speed in order to lift off into the sky instead of dropping hundreds of metres off a steep ledge.