Airbus A320neo landing at small airport notorious for crosswinds is tense yet stunning
- Airbus A320neo is one of the world’s most versatile aircraft
- Despite being relatively large, it has no problem landing at Gibraltar airport
- Gibraltar Airport has a short runway and is notorious for its crosswinds
Published on Jul 18, 2024 at 4:31 PM (UTC+4)
by Alessandro Renesis
Last updated on Jul 18, 2024 at 6:32 PM (UTC+4)
Edited by
Tom Wood
Landing an Airbus A320neo – or any other airliner – at small airports with short runways is something every pilot secretly dreads and wants at the same time.
It’s certainly challenging, but at the same time, it’s a badge of honor for them.
Many pilots will have had an interesting experience when landing at Gibraltar airport, which is not only small but also notoriously subject to crosswinds.
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The clip you see here, shared to YouTube by a channel with a focus on aviation called MT Aviation, details the moment an Airbus A320neo lands at Gibraltar International Airport.
The EasyJet Airbus successfully touches ground with no problem at all, but we reckon the pilots must’ve uttered a sigh of relief while the mic was off, just seconds before turning it on for the routine ‘Ladies and Gentlemen, welcome to’ message.
The fifth ‘most extreme’ airport in the world
According to the ‘World’s Most Extreme Airports‘ TV show, Gibraltar Airport is the fifth most extreme in the world, right behind Princess Juliana, the Sint Marteen airport where Concorde once landed.
The runway is quite short, just 1,778 meters (5,833 ft), but that’s not the main issue.
The main complication—by a long way—is the strong cross winds that swirl around the famous Rock of Gibraltar and the Bay of Gibraltar.
Here’s something else to put that in perspective.
One of the most frequently asked questions on Google about Gibraltar Airport is whether the Boeing 747, one of the most powerful and largest airliners in the world, can land at this airport.
‘Yes but only if the weather is perfect,’ is the chilling answer.
Airbus A320neo is one of the world’s most versatile planes
The list of airlines that have operated Airbus A320neos is incredibly long and varied, and the plane is used for regional, national, and international routes.
The list features most major airlines as well as a lot of airlines people have never heard of
American, Lufthansa, Wizz Air, Turkish, British Airways, Vueling are all on the list.
But so are SalamAir, Jazeera Airways, Lion Air and Druk Air, the flag carrier of the Kingdom of Bhutan.
That popularity suggest that they’re a capable machine, and trusted by carriers the world over.
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