Barra Airport, one of the most unusual airports in the world – Barra is located in the north of Scotland in the UK, on the small island of Barra, which belongs to the Outer Hebrides archipelago. A feature of this airport is that its runways are located directly on the beach of the Gulf Traigh Mhòr, and the flight schedule is tailored to the tides. At high tide, water hides the airfield runways, making takeoff and landing impossible.
Furthermore, the airport is not served by night flights, but in case of an emergency, landing is still possible; the lane is illuminated by automobile headlights, and special reflective tape is laid along the coast. In total, there are three runways, and the average length is 800 metres. Due to its unusual location and short strips, this airport is considered one of the most dangerous in the world, and only small aircraft can take off and land here.
The rest of the airport is similar to other airports, with dispatch, arrival, and departure terminals, baggage handling, and so on. The airport has been operating since 14 June 1933. Barra is now the only beach airport in the world that operates scheduled airline services. Loganair's De Havilland Twin Otters connect Barra with Glasgow, and you can find details of the services to and from Barra on Loganair's website or on our Feature Page about the service.
Total Barra Airport handles 1,500 flights a year, serves an average of 8,500 passengers annually, and sees more than 1,400 aircraft movements (landings or takeoffs) each year. Small planes can land directly on the beach, but only in the afternoon at low tide. The tide covers the runways with water, and the only way to reach the airport is by seaplane. An ideal place for hiking, mountain walks, beaches, and water sports. Barra Airport – an airport with unique sandy runways for aircraft with short takeoff and landing capabilities. It is among the ten most dangerous airports in the world.
First Image credit: ㇹヮィㇳ
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| The "tarmac" is white sand; the airport is subject to tides. |
Image credit: Romain
Image credit: Lakuda-san
Image credit: Peter Asprey
Image credit: Wntrmute
Image credit: neilh2012
Image credit: neilh2012
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| Barra beach landing strip in the world. |
Image credit: Elaine Haworth |
Image credit: jsutcliffe
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| The Baggage reclaim building at Barra Airport. Perfectly adequate for a Twin-Otter load. |
| Image credit: Gerry McLaughlin |
Image credit: kissthewingforluck
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