With good cause, Gisborne Airport, which is situated on the east coast of New Zealand, has become known across the globe as one of the scariest airports. An operational railroad line crosses the airport’s main runway in a unique fashion. This is an uncommon and unnerving feature that requires careful coordination between railway operators and air traffic controllers to avoid disastrous airplane-train clashes.

The aforementioned railway is a part of the Gisborne City Vintage Railway, which runs steam trains between Muriwai and Gisborne. About 15 times a year, often in the summer and while cruise ships are docked, these historic locomotives traverse the runway. Even though they are rare, the crossings provide a major logistical problem for air traffic control.

Coordination Leads to Safety

Careful communication is essential to ensuring safety at Gisborne Airport. To prevent any overlap between airplane operations and train crossings, air traffic controllers and railway operators need to be in close communication. Despite the exceptional circumstances, over 60 domestic flights are able to run successfully thanks to this careful coordination.

Gisborne Airport is much more than simply a weird airport, despite its nerve-racking architecture. In addition to its stunning vineyards and surfing beaches, the seaside city is well-known for being the first location on Earth to see the dawn. The destination more than makes up for the anxiety of the journey for those who are ready to risk the unique landing.

Not Just One Airport Is in the News

Although Gisborne’s runway and railway overlap, making it one of the scariest, other airports also get media attention for other reasons. In terms of food and drink costs, Istanbul’s airport was recently ranked as the most costly in the world. With features like the world’s highest indoor waterfall, Changi Airport in Singapore has been hailed as the greatest in the world. Gisborne Airport continues to be one of aviation’s most innovative and daring examples of infrastructure, while not being a regular stop on international itineraries.