The Pacific is home to many of the world's most beautiful airport landings, according to new research from UK-based travel insurance provider AllClear.
The travel experts recently looked at eye-tracking data, measuring how quickly and how long travelers' eyes were drawn to many of the world's most scenic runway approaches to reveal the most beautiful airport landings around the globe.
Located in the Tasman Sea off Australia's eastern coast, Lord Howe Island Airport—set between lush green mountains and turquoise sea—takes the crown as the world's most stunning runway, earning an eye-catching score of 85 out of 100.
Not far away, New Zealand's Queenstown Airport, which is surrounded by snow-capped mountains, ranks second with an equally impressive eye-catching score of 79 out of 100.
Portugal's Madeira Airport—an island destination off the coast of Morocco— and Pitkin County Airport in Aspen, Colorado, tied for third place with a score of 77 out of 100. The latter was one of two Colorado airports to finish among the top 15, with fellow Rocky Mountain travel hub Telluride Regional Airport tying for 12th.
Meanwhile, Daniel K. Inouye International Airport in Honolulu, Hawaii, tied for 10th, giving the U.S. three airport landings in the top 15.
Europe was also well-represented with London City Airport tying for the fifth-most scenic, Austria's Innsbruck Airport ranking seventh and Nice Côte d'Azur Airport in France earning a three-way tie for 12th.
Wellington International Airport in New Zealand tied for 15th, making it the only other country outside of the U.S. to land multiple airports in the top 15.
The World's Most Beautiful Airport Landings
- Lord Howe Island Airport - Australia (85 out of 100)
- Queenstown Airport - New Zealand (79 out of 100)
- Madeira Airport - Portugal (77 out of 100)
- Pitkin County Airport - Aspen, Colorado (77 out of 100)
- Rio de Janeiro-Santos Dumont Airport - Brazil (76 out of 100)
- London City Airport, UK (76 out of 100)
- Innsbruck Airport - Austria (74 out of 100)
- Paro Airport - Bhutan (72 out of 100)
- Juancho E. Yrausquin Airport - Saba, The Netherlands (69 out of 100)
- Daniel K. Inouye International Airport - Honolulu, Hawaii (68 out of 100)
- Lukla Airport - Nepal (68 out of 100)
- Seychelles International Airport - Seychelles (65 out of 100)
- Telluride Regional Airport - Telluride, Colorado (65 out of 100)
- Nice Côte d'Azur Airport - France (65 out of 100)
- Wellington International Airport - New Zealand (60 out of 100)
- Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport - Canada (60 out of 100)
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