List of countries without an airport

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This is a list of countries (sovereign states) and territories without an airport.

Contents

Sovereign states

Of the world's independent states, [1] only five European microstates have no airport within their boundaries, though all have at least one heliport. All apart from Monaco are landlocked. (Liechtenstein is doubly landlocked.)

CountryNotes
Flag of Andorra.svg Andorra Andorra has no airport, [2] but has three private heliports, one of which is a hospital helipad. A "National Heliport" is planned to be built, but the process is currently stalled. [3] By both population and land area, it is the largest country not to have an airport.
In Spain, the nearest airports are Andorra–La Seu d'Urgell Airport (12 km away), Lleida–Alguaire Airport and Girona–Costa Brava Airport.
In France, the nearest airports are Carcassonne Airport and Perpignan–Rivesaltes Airport. [4]
The nearest major airports are Josep Tarradellas Barcelona–El Prat Airport in Spain and Toulouse–Blagnac Airport in France, which are the most common choice for long-distance travel to Andorra.
Flag of Liechtenstein.svg Liechtenstein Liechtenstein has no airport, but has a heliport in the southern town of Balzers. [5] [6]
The nearest airports are St. Gallen–Altenrhein Airport in Switzerland and Friedrichshafen Airport in Germany, which have few scheduled flights.
The nearest major airport is Zürich Airport in Switzerland, which has rail services to Buchs and Sargans. [7] From these towns, one can catch a postal bus [7] or a train to Liechtenstein.
Flag of Monaco.svg Monaco Monaco has no airport, but has Monaco Heliport in the district of Fontvieille. [8]
The nearest major airport is Nice Côte d'Azur Airport in France. [9]
Flag of San Marino.svg San Marino San Marino has no airport, [10] but has one heliport in Borgo Maggiore and a small airfield called Torraccia airfield in Torraccia with a 680-metre (2,230-foot) grass runway.
The nearest airports in Italy are Federico Fellini International Airport in Rimini, and the much larger Bologna Guglielmo Marconi Airport.
Flag of Vatican City (2023-present).svg Vatican City Vatican City has no airport, but has Vatican City Heliport in the western corner, which is used by visiting heads of state and Vatican officials. [11] It would be physically impossible to fit an airport into the 0.44 km2 (0.17 sq mi) land area of the Holy See. [12]
The nearest major airports in Italy are Ciampino–G. B. Pastine International Airport and Leonardo da Vinci–Fiumicino Airport, both serving the city of Rome.

States with limited recognition

CountryNotes
Flag of Palestine.svg Palestine While there are four airports within the State of Palestine, none have been operational since 2004.
Flag of the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic.svg Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic While there are several airports within Western Sahara, all of them are in the Moroccan-controlled portion of the territory except for a dirt airstrip near Tifariti.
Flag of South Ossetia.svg South Ossetia
Flag of Transnistria (state).svg Transnistria There is the Tiraspol Airport, which does not have regular flights

Non-self-governing territories

Of the world's 17 non-self-governing territories, two have no airport within their boundaries: Tokelau and the Pitcairn Islands. Both are remote island groups, so a fairly long boat trip is the only way to get there.

TerritorySovereign stateNotes
Flag of Tokelau.svg Tokelau Flag of New Zealand.svg New Zealand Tokelau [note 1] does not have an airport, so boats are the only means of travel and transport. [13] The nearest airport is Faleolo International Airport serving Apia on Upolu Island in Samoa. From Apia, the Tokelau government operates the MV Mataliki passenger ship with a journey time of 24-32 hours on a fortnightly schedule.
Flag of the Pitcairn Islands.svg Pitcairn Islands Flag of the United Kingdom.svg United Kingdom The Pitcairn Islands [note 2] do not have an airport or seaport; the islanders rely on longboats to ferry people and goods between ship and shore through Bounty Bay. [14] The nearest airport is Totegegie Airport on Mangareva Island in French Polynesia. From Mangareva, the Pitcairn government operates the MV Silver Supporter passenger ship with a journey time of approximately 32 hours on a weekly schedule.
Flag of Tristan da Cunha.svg Tristan da Cunha Flag of the United Kingdom.svg United Kingdom Tristan da Cunha is a constituent territory of the British Overseas Territory of Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha, which are isolated islands in the southern Atlantic Ocean. While Saint Helena and Ascension Island now both have airports, Tristan da Cunha does not. The island is served by 3 ships chartered by the Tristan da Cunha government that regularly travel between Tristan da Cunha and Cape Town, South Africa.

Notes

  1. Tokelau is a territory of New Zealand in the southern Pacific Ocean consisting of the atolls of Atafu, Nukunonu, and Fakaofo. A referendum held in 2006 and 2007 to change the status of the islands to one of free association with New Zealand did not meet the needed threshold for approval.
  2. Pitcairn Islands is a British Overseas Territory in the southern Pacific Ocean consisting of four islands: Pitcairn, Henderson, Ducie, and Oeno.

References

  1. "The Number of Countries in the World – Number of Countries Worldwide". Geography.About.com. Retrieved 10 June 2012.
  2. Andorra. CIA World Factbook. Retrieved 12 July 2014.
  3. "L'heliport, en dubte". Diari d'Andorra. 12 May 2018. Retrieved 28 July 2018.
  4. "Andorra flight information and best airport for Andorra flights". YourAndorra.com. 5 October 2008. Retrieved 18 April 2010.
  5. Thomas Schmid. "Heliport Balzers FL LSXB". Tsis.ch. Retrieved 18 April 2010.
  6. Matthias Vogt. "Heliport Balzers LSXB". Heli.li. Archived from the original on 18 February 2010. Retrieved 18 April 2010.
  7. 1 2 Liechtenstein Archived 8 September 2015 at the Wayback Machine . Europe for Visitors.
  8. "Fontvieille Heliport Airport (MCM) Details – Monaco". World-Airport-Codes.com. Retrieved 18 April 2010.
  9. "Getting To Monaco". Insurance.EssentialTravel.co.uk. Archived from the original on 24 March 2010. Retrieved 18 April 2010.
  10. San Marino. CIA World Factbook. Retrieved 12 July 2014.
  11. Vatican City Archived 22 December 2005 at the Wayback Machine . Tiscali. Retrieved 27 November 2006.
  12. Holy See (Vatican City). CIA World Factbook.
  13. Tokelau. CIA World Factbook. Retrieved 12 July 2014.
  14. Pitcairn. CIA World Factbook. Retrieved 13 July 2014.