Legendary Airport · Caribbean
Saba: The Shortest Commercial Runway in the World
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From the air, Saba’s runway looks like a mistake. It’s a tiny flat strip on a rocky headland, with sheer drops to the sea at both ends and along one side, and a steep hill rising on the other. It’s about 400 metres long, roughly the length of four football pitches end to end, and that’s the whole airport.
Saba is a small volcanic island in the Caribbean, part of the Caribbean Netherlands. It’s steep almost everywhere, and the airport sits on one of the very few flat bits of land, a rocky outcrop called Flat Point. Its official name is Juancho E. Yrausquin Airport, after a local politician, and it is widely described as having the shortest commercial runway in the world.
Short, and shorter still
The headline figure is 400 metres (1,312 feet). But the runway has displaced thresholds, markings that move the official landing point a little way in from each end, so the usable length is about 385 metres. For comparison, a fully loaded Boeing 737 typically needs several times that.
The real numbers
Saba in figures
400m
Runway
About 1,312 feet
~385m
Usable length
After the displaced thresholds
3
Cliff edges
And a hill on the fourth side
1967
Twin Otters since
Winair began flying them in January 1967
The Twin Otter again
The aircraft that makes Saba work is the de Havilland Canada Twin Otter, the same rugged turboprop that serves Barra’s beach and Nepal’s mountain strips. It’s a short take-off and landing (STOL) design: big wings, slow approach speeds and powerful brakes and propellers let it stop in a remarkably short distance. Winair, the airline of Sint Maarten, has flown Twin Otters since January 1967 and runs the Saba service.
Only specially approved STOL aircraft are allowed to land. Pilots are trained for this specific runway, and wind and weather decide whether a landing goes ahead. With cliffs at both ends, there’s very little room for error.
Why it matters to the island
The flight from Sint Maarten takes only minutes, and for Saba’s roughly two thousand residents it’s the fastest link to the outside world. The ferry alternative is slower and can be rough. For visitors, mostly divers and hikers drawn by the island’s marine park and cloud forest, the landing is usually the first story they tell.
See also: Barra, where Twin Otters land on a beach.
Sources & Further Reading
Common Questions
Frequently Asked Questions
How long is Saba’s runway?
About 400 metres (1,312 feet). Because of displaced thresholds at each end, the usable length is around 385 metres, making it widely described as the shortest commercial runway in the world.
Which airline flies to Saba?
Winair, based in St Maarten, flies the short hop to Saba using de Havilland Canada Twin Otter aircraft.
Can jets land at Saba?
No. Only specially approved short-take-off-and-landing aircraft such as the Twin Otter can use the runway.
Where is Saba?
A small volcanic island in the Caribbean, part of the Caribbean Netherlands, a short flight from Sint Maarten.
Is there another way to reach Saba?
Yes. Ferries run between Sint Maarten and Saba, though the crossing can be rough.