Aeroplanes are one of the most important forms of transport in an increasingly interconnected world.
A staggering 4.5 billion people are estimated to have flown last year, as airline passenger numbers continue to recover post-Covid.
To cater for the demand in flights, over 40,000 airports have been constructed around the globe.
One of those airports is located in Israel and turns out to be the lowest one in world.
Bar Yehuda Airfield (MTZ) is located 378 meters (1,240 feet) below sea level in the Judean Desert.
The airfield is named after Yehuda Ramon, an Israeli Air Force pilot who lost his life in a training accident in 1961.
It opened its doors just two years after his tragic death in 1963 and serves as a vital link in Israel’s air transportation network.
The airport is still owned by the state and provides an alternate landing site for planes flying to or from Ben Gurion International Airport.
The airport primarily handles domestic flights to other cities in Israel, such as Tel Aviv, Haifa, and Jerusalem.
It is about a one-and-a-half hour drive from Jerusalem and is 4.2 kilometres from the Masada fortress.
Bar Yehuda is used by the Israeli Air Force, as well as by civilian and commercial aircraft.
The airfield has a single 1,200-metre (3,937ft) long runway and is surrounded by sand dunes.
Its low altitude and location means that the airport is prone to being shrouded in fog and buffeted by strong winds.
These weather conditions can often make it difficult for pilots to land their planes and there have been several accidents in the past.
And it is not only the changing weather conditions that present a challenge to pilots.
The airfield is not equipped with radar or navigational aids, so pilots need to be familiar with the area to land safely.
Its unique status as the lowest airport in the world attracts a steady stream of aviation enthusiasts.
