Abandoned airports you can no longer fly from
Flying solo
![](https://loveincorporated.blob.core.windows.net/contentimages/gallery/a3242dcc-fa71-4f80-bff1-a54f0c7e48bb-cyprus-2-lead.jpg)
Kai Tak International, Hong Kong
![](https://loveincorporated.blob.core.windows.net/contentimages/gallery/4eb72366-92b2-4da1-a76c-eb5c7f61f131-kai-tak1-minghong-wiki.jpg)
Hong Kong's former international airport is an aviation hub no more. Once a handy place to land, right in the center of Hong Kong in the Kowloon area, it was the city's primary airport. But its lifetime was shrouded in complication and disaster. With the rapid growth of Hong Kong in the 1980s and 90s, overcrowding in the airport became a problem and pollution for nearby residents was a huge issue.
Kai Tak International, Hong Kong
![](https://loveincorporated.blob.core.windows.net/contentimages/gallery/b8fa3d48-10c2-4746-9b7b-ac91c9c50f59-kai-tak2-Markus-Schmal.jpg)
But it wasn't just the infrastructure that became a problem for this airport. Kai Tak was notorious for its difficult landings and take-offs. Pilots had to navigate the nearby hills with a sharp turn and often gusts of wind could make planes overshoot the runway. Several aircraft had accidents while coming into land or during take-off at the airport during its 73 years of operation, including the 1993 China Airlines Boeing 747 which overshot the runway during a typhoon and crashed into Victoria Harbour.
Kai Tak International, Hong Kong
![](https://loveincorporated.blob.core.windows.net/contentimages/gallery/9547e5ea-c11e-4457-b59f-6ea130fe8257-kai-tak-3-wiki.jpg)
Kai Tak International, Hong Kong
![](https://loveincorporated.blob.core.windows.net/contentimages/gallery/ccb3351d-5902-4fe7-bad7-da0284fc1dca-kai-tak-4-EarnestTse.jpg)
The old airport is now used as a cruise terminal for up to two 220,000-ton ships a day. The terminal opened in 2013 and usually sees more than 730,000 passengers pass through it each year, a fraction of the close to 30 million people that used to travel through the airport when it was here.
Stapleton International Airport, Colorado, USA
![](https://loveincorporated.blob.core.windows.net/contentimages/gallery/f939f385-078a-4109-b9c7-f5b63697a7a7-stapleton-1-wikimedia.jpg)
Stapleton International Airport, Colorado, USA
![](https://loveincorporated.blob.core.windows.net/contentimages/gallery/e08715ed-a206-40b1-98f2-0f2da076088d-stapleton-2-airbus777-flickr.jpg)
Stapleton International Airport, Colorado, USA
![](https://loveincorporated.blob.core.windows.net/contentimages/gallery/de360e85-57b5-4ca1-989e-e5bfd752ba92-stapleton3-paul-thompson-flickr.jpg)
Stapleton International Airport, Colorado, USA
![](https://loveincorporated.blob.core.windows.net/contentimages/gallery/d9bb258b-1bb1-4f03-89e6-abe23a1f3d59-stapleton-4-photo-denver.jpg)
After a storm in 1997 damaged many of the airport buildings, leaving well over 4,000 holes in the rooftops, the vast majority of it was torn down. Today, the most recognizable lasting feature is the old air traffic control tower which is now used as a bowling alley and restaurant. The land around it has been redeveloped as a residential area.
Sergey Prokofiev International Airport, Ukraine
![](https://loveincorporated.blob.core.windows.net/contentimages/gallery/63b01dfb-462f-4c24-87ac-6aac268e9d80-donetsk1-Exclusive-Dn.jpg)
This airport in eastern Ukraine didn't struggle to serve its market but has a rather somber story. The shiny façade of Sergey Prokofiev International Airport in Donetsk is no longer as attractive as it once was, after this airport was the scene of two horrific battles during 2014 and 2015.
Sergey Prokofiev International Airport, Ukraine
![](https://loveincorporated.blob.core.windows.net/contentimages/gallery/eddaa403-c1d2-4d39-a801-07922049cf4b-donetsk2-Exclusive-Dn.jpg)
Sergey Prokofiev International Airport, Ukraine
![](https://loveincorporated.blob.core.windows.net/contentimages/gallery/0a6bc007-8f21-4665-bae4-01b508ade5a8-donetsk3-Exclusive-Dn.jpg)
Sergey Prokofiev International Airport, Ukraine
![](https://loveincorporated.blob.core.windows.net/contentimages/gallery/6a8c2d62-5c59-45e9-abeb-af3ed5518f22-donetsk4-Exclusive-Dn.jpg)
Ciudad Real Central Airport, Spain
![](https://loveincorporated.blob.core.windows.net/contentimages/gallery/9cbc69b3-47f3-4f62-b8ec-b5cb6ac090de-spain-1.jpg)
Ciudad Real Central Airport, Spain
![](https://loveincorporated.blob.core.windows.net/contentimages/gallery/748d958e-9b85-4106-baa6-f5b6ae3255e7-spain-2.jpg)
Ciudad Real Central Airport, Spain
![](https://loveincorporated.blob.core.windows.net/contentimages/gallery/0ddb8f33-5501-4521-aa7d-a41ae883ed2c-spain3.jpg)
Ciudad Real Central Airport, Spain
![](https://loveincorporated.blob.core.windows.net/contentimages/gallery/7de39b7c-eb09-452d-81d4-f942117f5461-spain-4.jpg)
Ciudad Real Central Airport, Spain
![](https://loveincorporated.blob.core.windows.net/contentimages/gallery/26e72f29-b8db-4c63-aee3-7f44fca0fc9b-spain-5.jpg)
Ellinikon International Airport, Greece
![](https://loveincorporated.blob.core.windows.net/contentimages/gallery/5eb3c92c-6f39-4efc-8a20-1af4069971a1-greece-1.jpg)
Ellinikon International Airport, Greece
![](https://loveincorporated.blob.core.windows.net/contentimages/gallery/9d56b45d-9c26-4b5b-b5c9-ab36e46c2b25-greece-2.jpg)
Ellinikon International Airport, Greece
![](https://loveincorporated.blob.core.windows.net/contentimages/gallery/83a1a4a2-8ea8-46ea-b391-3c2246f77224-greece-3.jpg)
Ellinikon International Airport, Greece
![](https://loveincorporated.blob.core.windows.net/contentimages/gallery/aff893c5-f1d5-4006-9086-baa563c154b8-greece-4.jpg)
After briefly serving as a makeshift refugee camp, the site has now been leased to a gambling development company. It intends to build a tourist resort complex, including hotels, offices, casino, a yachting marina and luxury homes inside the abandoned airport at a cost of $9.3 billion. Work on demolishing the old airport buildings began in July 2020.
Yasser Arafat International Airport, Palestinian Territories
![](https://loveincorporated.blob.core.windows.net/contentimages/gallery/9c7f78a2-8e64-4f13-ac62-a056187cd95e-palestine-1.jpg)
Yasser Arafat International Airport, Palestinian Territories
![](https://loveincorporated.blob.core.windows.net/contentimages/gallery/54cf31ff-9086-4ca5-bc79-d268da661556-gaza-airport.jpg)
Yasser Arafat International Airport, Palestinian Territories
![](https://loveincorporated.blob.core.windows.net/contentimages/gallery/fd1e26d9-86bd-4fad-bb90-01be719c7765-palestine-3.jpg)
Yasser Arafat International Airport, Palestinian Territories
![](https://loveincorporated.blob.core.windows.net/contentimages/gallery/b65d78ac-ecdd-4569-8414-36573ea813de-palestine-4.jpg)
Now a complete wreck, the airport has been totally abandoned and proposals to rebuild the hub have been vetoed by the Israeli authorities. Take a look at more haunting photos of the world's abandoned places here.
Nicosia International Airport, Cyprus
![](https://loveincorporated.blob.core.windows.net/contentimages/gallery/f0784324-8e9c-4c62-87b0-c9ab18fcd7f2-cyprus-1.jpg)
Nicosia International Airport, Cyprus
![](https://loveincorporated.blob.core.windows.net/contentimages/gallery/1e7642c3-f0f2-4e3d-ab76-0ce7c1a45d92-cyprus-2.jpg)
Nicosia International Airport, Cyprus
![](https://loveincorporated.blob.core.windows.net/contentimages/gallery/825ef9b1-2e08-4713-97d0-749fcb6a666a-cyprus-3.jpg)
Nicosia International Airport, Cyprus
![](https://loveincorporated.blob.core.windows.net/contentimages/gallery/1fc34b9b-20fb-465f-a460-82e569d8b52f-cyprus-4.jpg)
Situated in a no-man's land between the Republic of Cyprus and the self-declared state of Northern Cyprus, the airport has remained largely untouched since the conflict.
Nicosia International Airport, Cyprus
![](https://loveincorporated.blob.core.windows.net/contentimages/gallery/85ff0247-c7ed-4d37-b1f9-76b9ebb7f1fc-cyprus-5.jpg)
These days, the site is used as a headquarters for the UN peacekeeping force in Cyprus but much of the former terminal building and its contents still exist, including signage and seating. While the future of the airport is uncertain, plans have been floated to re-open it under UN control and even transform the site into a special tax-free industrial zone.
Now take a look at these stunning photos of the world's abandoned castles
Comments
Be the first to comment
Do you want to comment on this article? You need to be signed in for this feature