Smallest airport you've ever flown into?
#1021
Join Date: Jun 2011
Location: MEL
Programs: VAG
Posts: 1,865
With scheduled service, it'd probably be GHC -- Great Harbour Cay, The Bahamas. There's a runway, and... well, there's a runway. At my departure there was also a woman on hand to give me a really vigorous patdown before my international flight in an eight-seater prop to Fort Lauderdale. There's no lounge per se, but it's a short walk to the island's only bar, at the beach, where I was the only customer. Good times!
Without scheduled service it was probably FOS -- Forrest, Western Australia. With a population of 16, it's still the largest town in a 100km radius.
Having said that, it's a surprisingly large airport, with two well-paved runways and a tennis court inside one of the hangars.
Without scheduled service it was probably FOS -- Forrest, Western Australia. With a population of 16, it's still the largest town in a 100km radius.
Having said that, it's a surprisingly large airport, with two well-paved runways and a tennis court inside one of the hangars.
#1022
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#1026
Join Date: Sep 2011
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Although I haven't been there, the thread reminds me of Ian Coppinger's stand-up comedy routine involving flying from SXL:
#1028
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Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: PSM
Posts: 69,232
Westray in Scotland is the same way. Picked us up, drove to the airport, left us out front while he put on the safety vest to marshal the plane in, loaded our bags and let us board. Zero chance of missing our flight that day.
#1029
Join Date: Nov 2014
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#1032
Join Date: Oct 2007
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#1034
Join Date: Jan 2007
Programs: Many
Posts: 335
It's not as small as some but still quite small - Dutch Harbor, Alaska, where earlier this summer I was amazed there was no TSA presence, no visible security apparatus at all (could have been a CCTV camera somewhere, I suppose). Check in, check bag, get on flight when it's ready to board. I've been to a few smaller ones, but never thought I'd get on a flight in the U.S. again without passing through security.
#1035
Join Date: May 2015
Posts: 31
For me lately it was BHB. The hint was when the rental car dropoff/short term/long term parking were all the same gravel lot right in front of the terminal.
There was TSA, including one poor lady who had the unfortunate assignment of going through each piece of checkin luggage by hand. And another very friendly guy who gave an adorable spiel before opening the TSA line 30 minutes before the flight. One older passenger was worried when they took her bottle of water, so TSA brought her a new one.
We then got to watch the tiny older lady who checked us in try and lift suitcases above her head to push them into the plane. (None of those girly conveyer belts for this Maine lass.)
Now this wasn't the largest plane, this turbo prop was not even as big as the private jet that landed a few minutes earlier. But the ladder, you couldn't really call them stairs, up to the plane made it very exciting to watch them load the disabled folks. Yes, out of 35 possible passengers on this plane, 4 of them used canes.
All this said, it was an enjoyable experience. There may be only one gate, and no jetways, but they did have wifi and a place to plug in your electronics. The bathrooms were nice and clean, and every employee was friendly. What more could you ask.
Oh, and only two airlines flew in here, the bigger one being capeair.
There was TSA, including one poor lady who had the unfortunate assignment of going through each piece of checkin luggage by hand. And another very friendly guy who gave an adorable spiel before opening the TSA line 30 minutes before the flight. One older passenger was worried when they took her bottle of water, so TSA brought her a new one.
We then got to watch the tiny older lady who checked us in try and lift suitcases above her head to push them into the plane. (None of those girly conveyer belts for this Maine lass.)
Now this wasn't the largest plane, this turbo prop was not even as big as the private jet that landed a few minutes earlier. But the ladder, you couldn't really call them stairs, up to the plane made it very exciting to watch them load the disabled folks. Yes, out of 35 possible passengers on this plane, 4 of them used canes.
All this said, it was an enjoyable experience. There may be only one gate, and no jetways, but they did have wifi and a place to plug in your electronics. The bathrooms were nice and clean, and every employee was friendly. What more could you ask.
Oh, and only two airlines flew in here, the bigger one being capeair.