The Worst Airports In The World According To Pilots And Flight Attendants

Airports are dreaded by many, and for good reason. Some are just so bad, you're counting down the minutes until your flight leaves. Others are so incredible that you wish your layover was longer.

From dangerous and scary runways, to airports with the worst TSA checkpoints, traveling as a passenger can be a stressful experience. But what about the employees – pilots and flight attendants – have you ever wondered what their perspective is?

*Related: The 15 Best Airports in the World to Get Stuck in

They often enjoy privileges like not passing through the terminal like everyone one, a flight attendant at Emirates Airlines says. But they, too, have bad experiences.

Comments on reddit.com are from anonymous pilots/flight attendants. Here are the worst airports in the world according to pilots and flight attendants.

Los Angeles International Airport made our list as one of the worst TSA checkpoints in the U.S. Apparently, their checkpoint isn't the only bad thing. A comment on reddit.com calls them "the worst." "Designed in the '20s and '30s, completed in the '40s, LAX is drastically undersized for the number of travelers who pass through its infernal gates every day. The "horseshoe" can't handle the traffic, but that's after you've fought your way to the West side just to get there. It's a classic example of Los Angeles' short-sightedness."

"LGA is too busy, constant delays. It wasn't designed for the amount of traffic it sees. To be fair, the controllers there do a superb job managing it," according to a comment on reddit.com. It is also one of the most dangerous airports in the world – pilots have to be careful to not interfere with flights from the other two airports servicing the area.

According to a pilot based in Shanghai, China, "Shanghai Pudong isn't bad except the airport is set up with two runways on the east side and two on the west side. We can call in and find our assigned parking gate 100 miles out but they always land us closest to where we come in and sometimes will then have to taxi all the way across the airport to our gate."

A trip to Shanghai will be one to remember, however, according to a pilot based in Shanghai China, "Shanghai Hongqiao airport is too small. They have updated it but as soon as any delays hit, it becomes a backed up shitstorm."

"Kathmandu is the worst airport in the world by far. A glorified bus station running at 600% capacity with no amenities and confusing security. Has some nice couches now though," according to a comment on reddit.com.

"Taipei, Taiwan is disappointing. They have been rebuilding a lot of it the last few years but the runways and taxiways are/were in terrible shape. That should be fixed soon. Also whoever named the taxiways there was not a pilot or controller. It all makes sense when you sit down and look at it carefully but it is not practical or efficient," according to a piolet based in Shanghai, China.

The airport is too far from the city of Jeddah, a flight attendant at Emirates Airlines says. The quickest way is a taxi but it takes at least an hour. "Passengers are usually transported with buses and that takes about two and a half hours," he adds.

No one really likes the Heathrow Airport in London because the staff is too strict when it comes to the precise weight of your luggage, the flight attendant at Emirates Airlines says.

Some pilots call it a "hellhole." It remains "trapped in a time warp." Other descriptions include necessarily confusing, national embarrassment, time consuming, and physically crumbling. One annoying thing that happens there all the time is gate changes at the last minute, according to some.

Stories of its danger have made the news several times. The runway in Tegucigalpa is much shorter than average and is located in the middle of populated valleys. The nightmare of landing there begins with twisted ravine. The airport is located in a mountainous region requiring pilots to make some unconventional maneuvers to land safely. There have been six major crashes there since 1989.

Visiting this remote and exotic region begins with a unique but scary terrifying experience. The 6,500 foot-long runway is surrounded by steep 18,000-foot peaks and mountain foliage. Only eight pilots in the world are qualified to land there, according to the Daily Mail. Planes have to weave through houses that are scattered across the mountainside, coming within feet of clipping the roofs.