December 2024
The world’s greatest plane landings – revealed
Bag a window seat and strap in – these six landing spots offer some of the most wow-worthy scenery across the globe
Although our planes fly all over the globe each day, not all landings are created equal. Recent research from Prime Casino ranked the world’s most exciting landings according to Google searches and YouTube views. Take note for your next trip and try to snag a window seat just forward of the wing to make the most of these impressive views.
Funchal, Madeira
YouTube views: 35,000,000
Google searches: 79,340
Taking the top spot is Funchal Airport in Madeira. With its narrow, stilted runway and feisty Atlantic winds, landing here is not for the faint of heart. Officially called Cristiano Ronaldo International Airport, after its most famous son, it's considered one of the trickiest airports to land in Europe and pilots must have special training to navigate it. But it’s worth it: the panoramic views of its rugged volcanic mountain peaks, serrated cliffs and the navy sweep of the Atlantic Ocean make flying into Madeira an exhilarating experience, so just sit back and enjoy the ride.
London Heathrow, United Kingdom
YouTube views: 5,900,000
Google searches: 47,890
It's always worth fighting over the window seat when you fly back into London Heathrow, which is a firm favourite with pilots thanks to the epic views of the capital. Approaching from the North Sea, the eastern flight path follows a snaking River Thames through the city and offers the full bingo card of London sights. On a clear day, you can see the abutments of Tower Bridge, the ornate dome of St Paul’s Cathedral and the gardens of Buckingham Palace and Windsor Castle before landing at T5.
Queenstown, New Zealand
YouTube views: 6,400,000
Google searches: 14,210
As the adventure capital of the world, it’s no surprise that the approach into Queenstown Airport is an adrenaline-pumping experience for both pilots and passengers. Navigating the steep valleys and dizzying peaks of The Remarkables mountain range in South Island’s Southern Alps, pilots certainly earn their wings when they fly into the airport here. Passengers benefit from incredible views over sawtooth mountains and Lake Wakatipu as planes navigate the steep descent. For the best views, make sure you sit on the left-hand-side of the plane so you can see Mount Taranaki and the glaciers on the West Coast.
Hong Kong, China
YouTube views: 6,600,000
Google searches: 8,010
Once home to the notoriously edgy Kai Tak Airport – where you could almost touch the laundry hanging from the buildings as you flew in over Kowloon – Hong Kong’s International Airport offers just as thrilling a descent. It’s built on a small artificial island in the South China Sea, and pilots often say it feels like landing on water. On the approach, passengers can get an aerial view of Lantau Island and the giant gold Tian Tan Buddha. Sit on the right side of the plane to get the best views of Hong Kong Island’s space-age skyline and the green-and-white Star Ferries crossing Victoria Harbour.
New York, USA
YouTube views: 4,800,000
Google searches: 25,620
Approaching the East Coast from the Atlantic Ocean, try to sit in a right-hand window seat for views over Long Island and the Rockaway beaches, where on a clear day you can even spot surfers riding the waves. It’s also the best position to see the Manhattan skyline in all its glory. By day you get a rare bird’s-eye view of the Brooklyn Bridge, the Empire State Building and One World Trade Center, while at night the city sparkles like stardust as you come in to land.
Nice, France
YouTube views: 7,100,000
Google searches: 6,330
Palm trees, azures seas and pink Belle Époque villas – flying into Nice Côte d’Azur airport is one of the most glamorous landings in the world. Approaching from the south and the Baie des Anges, you can see the beach-fringed sweep of the French Riviera, the palm-lined Promenade des Anglais and millionaire yachts bobbing in the ocean. Come in from the east and fly over the rugged Alpes-Maritimes mountains, where on a clear day you can spot the glittering towns of Cannes and Antibes to the west or the Monaco skyline to the east.
Methodology:
1. A seed list was created from reputable articles on websites like CNN and Escape.
2. The airport code and country were entered for each airport.
3. YouTube views were gathered by entering the search term [Airport name] [landing], ordered by most viewed and obtaining the view count of the top result. Irrelevant results were omitted such as those for the incorrect airport, take-off videos or computer simulations.
4. Search data was gathered using Google Keyword Planner.
5. A score was calculated and the results were ordered from highest to lowest.
This article has been tagged Adventure, Destination
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