A Boeing 747 jet blast on runway is so close to beach that it ends up blowing some people away
Published on Feb 18, 2026 at 3:42 PM (UTC+4)
by Henry Kelsall
Last updated on Feb 18, 2026 at 3:42 PM (UTC+4)
Edited by
Emma Matthews
A YouTube video shows the jet blast from a Boeing 747 on a runway at St. Maarten that is so close to the beach that it blows some onlookers away.
The Jumbo Jet was taking off from the St. Maarten airport, an island in the Caribbean, with the airport located right by Maho Beach.
In the video, we see the KLM Boeing 747 line up at the end of the runway and spool up its engines before taking off into the sky.
The proximity to the beach is clearly on show, as the jet engines blow people away who were trying to watch the takeoff.
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How close was the Boeing 747 to the beach?
It’s clear from the video just how close the jet is to the beach.
The end of the runway is quite literally right next to the edge of the sand.
There is just a small gap and a perimeter fence separating the two.
In the video, we see the 747 taxi down to the end of the runway, and then spin around, ready for takeoff.
After that, we see it right by the onlookers, and the jet blast is already blowing things around.
But when the aircraft applies full power and takes off, you can see people on the beach literally being blown away.
The blast blows some onto the ground, and others into the sea itself.
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The St. Maarten airport is famous for its beachside runway
The airport on St. Maarten is one of the most famous in the world, thanks to the runway.
Named Princess Juliana International Airport, it originally opened as a US Air Force airbase in 1942.
The first commercial flight then landed at the airport in 1943.
In 1964, it was remodeled and relocated with a new control tower, and upgrades followed in 1985 and 2001.
Approaches to the airport are incredibly low because the runway is so close to the sea.
At the other end of the runway are tall mountains, meaning takeoffs are quite aggressive.
Watching any aircraft land or take off from the airport is a very impressive sight, even if you can get blown away.
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Henry joined the Supercar Blondie team in February 2025, and since then has covered a wide array of topics ranging from EVs, American barn finds, and the odd Cold War jet. He’s combined his passion for cars with his keen interest in motorsport and his side hustle as a volunteer steam locomotive fireman at a leading heritage steam railway in England.
