It is hard to imagine a world without planes, so important have they become in connecting the world and boosting global economies. Flying is a quick and convenient way to travel, saving time and effort and bringing the people closer together.
Some 4.4 billion passengers took to skies in 2023, as the industry continues its recovery post-Covid. Many countries have airports, some with several thousand – acceding to industry data. The US Federal Aviation Administration says there are a whopping 19,633 airports in America.
However, only 5,082 are used for public flights – the remaining 14,551 serviced by private jets only.
The US is not the only country to boast over one thousand airports, with Brazil (5,297), Australia (2,257) and Mexico (1,580) also among those states with a highly developed air transport infrastructure.
Remarkably, three countries do not have any airports whatsoever, forcing their citizens to drive elsewhere to find a flight.
Monaco is renowned for its wealthy denizens and casinos, but apparently there is no space to build an airport – although there is a helipad.
The micro state is located on the French Riviera a few kilometres west of the Italian region of Liguria.
The closest airport is the one in Nice, just 20 miles away. The airport has two terminals and caters for 13 million passengers a year.
As the smallest country in the world, the Vatican City has no airport to call its own either.
However, it is just about 10 miles from Rome Ciampino (CIA) Airport, located south southeast of the centre.
The airport is smaller than Roma Fiumicino, and handles around six million passengers a year.
Landlocked Liechtenstein also has no airport, with citizens travelling mostly by car and train.
The German-speaking, 25km-long principality is located between Austria and Switzerland.
It’s known for its medieval castles, alpine landscapes and villages linked by a network of trails.
The nearest and most convenient airport to the principality is probably Zurich, which is around 50 miles away.
