The 5 tiny countries around world that don’t have their own airport | World | News

Having an airport is incredibly beneficial for a country. They facilitate trade, tourism and connectivity, which in turn generates economic growth, creates jobs and improves living standards.

However, there are five countries that do not have an airport within their borders. They are all found in Europe and are known as microstates – a very small sovereign state. Some of these microstates are so small that it would be impossible to even build a runway, so all have at least one heliport. Interestingly, all bar one of the countries are also landlocked.

Andorra

Andorra is the largest country not to have an airport, by both population and land area. The landlocked country is found on the Iberian Peninsula, bordered by France to the north and Spain to the south.

It has three private heliports, one of which is reserved for hospital use. A “National Heliport” is planned to be built, but the process is currently stalled.

Its nearest major airports are Barcelona–El Prat in Spain (BCN) and Toulouse–Blagnac (TLS) in France, which are the most common choice for long-distance travel to Andorra.

Liechtenstein 

Liechtenstein is a doubly landlocked German-speaking microstate in the Central European Alps, between Austria in the east and north and Switzerland in the west and south. It is Europe’s fourth-smallest country and is one of the very few to have no debt.

It has no airport, but does have a heliport in the southern town of Balzers. The nearest major airport is Zurich Airport (ZRH) in Switzerland, which operates rail services to Buch and Sargans from where visitors can catch a postal bus or train to Liechtenstein.

Monaco

The iconic microstate of Monaco has no airport, but the Monaco Heliport is located in the district of Fontvieille. Monaco is a semi-enclave boarded by France to the north, east and west on the French Riviera, a few miles west of the Italian region of Liguria.

Monaco is recognised as one of the wealthiest and most expensive places in the world, home to 39,000 residents of whom about 9,500 are Monégasque nationals.

Its nearest major airport is Nice Côte d’Azur Airport (NCE) in France.

San Marino

San Marino is the oldest existing representative republic and the European state with the smallest population, excluding the Vatican City. Located on the northeastern side of the Apennine Mountains it is a landlocked country, though its northeastern end is within six miles of the Adriatic coast through the Italian city of Rimini.

San Marino does not have an airport, but has one heliport and a small airfield, Torraccia airfield, which has a 2,230-foot grass runway.

The nearest airports are in Italy – the Federico Fellini International Airport (RMI) in Rimini and the much larger Bologna Guglielmo Marconi Airport (BLQ).

Vatican City

Vatican City has no airport but has the Vatican City Heliport in its western corner, which is used by visiting heads and Vatican officials.

As the Holy See only covers 0.17 square miles, it would be physically impossible to fit an airport within its borders.

The nearest major airports in Italy are Ciampino–G. B. Pastine International Airport (CIA) and Leonardo da Vinci–Fiumicino Airport (FCO), which both serve the city of Rome.