Commercial aviation allows people to access quite a number of places on the planet.
The construction of airports in unique destinations opens up a new sky for visitors who want to break records and conquer the globe. CNN gathers a list of the world's most interesting airports, from the Himalayas to the desert or from one extreme to the other.
North Pole
Military Alert outpost on the northern tip of Ellesmere Island, Nunavut territory (Canada), is not only residential but also the closest airport in the world. However, this area is outside the limits of civilians.
South pole
Airlines cannot fly further south than the ski run Jack F. Paulus because the runway is used by the US Air Force C-130 cargo plane to resupply the Amundsen-Scott Station, located immediately. in Antarctica.
The area also has other runways for landing but is mainly used for scientific missions, not regular commercial flights to Antarctica.
Highest
Since its inauguration in 2013, Daocheng Yading Airport in Sichuan Province, China has always held the title of the world's highest airport. Located on a barren plateau above sea level 4,411m, with the station like a flying saucer, the airport looks like an extraterrestrial space station.
The shortest
The Dead Sea, in Israel, is the lowest point on the surface of the Earth. Therefore, Bar Yehuda airport is located on the shore, at an altitude of 378m below sea level, is the lowest airport in the world. This airport does not have any regular air services.
Most isolated
Chile's Mataveri International Airport received this award for being 2.603km west of Totegegie Airport in Polynesia. The mainland of Chile is even further east: It takes 3,759km to reach Santiago airport.
Hottest
In June 2017, Ahvaz International Airport in Southeastern Iran recorded a record temperature of 54 degrees C. If verified, this would be the highest temperature ever recorded on modern Earth.
The coldest
Deep inside Siberia, the village of Oymyakon , belonging to Russia's Sakha Republic (an autonomous region 12 times bigger than Britain) is said to be the coldest place on Earth, with a record temperature of 67.7 degrees Celsius.
Of course, the capital Yakutsk has the world's coldest airport with an average winter temperature of around - 39 degrees C.
Biggest
With a total area of 78,000 hectares, King Fahd International Airport in Saudi Arabia holds the top position. However, the actual area used for making airports only accounts for a small portion of them: 3,675 ha. This criteria will place Denver International Airport at the top of the table with 13,726 hectares.
The shortest runway
Juancho E. Yrausquin Airport on Saba Island (Netherlands) has the shortest runway to support regular commercial activities - just over 396 m. Built at the only flat land on this volcanic island, Juancho's runway adjoins the steep slopes. Pilots must have special certificates to be allowed to land here.
The longest runway
With a length of 5,500m, Qamdo Bamda Airport in China's Tibet Autonomous Region holds the record for the longest runway used in the world. This is a way to compensate for the reduction of engine and improve the performance of aircraft when taking off and landing at 4,334m.
