Six countries around the world operate without airports, relying instead on road, rail, or sea transport to maintain connectivity. Despite the global growth in air traffic and demand for faster travel, these nations have adapted to local conditions such as terrain, geography, and size.
Travellers often reach them through neighbouring countries or coastal entry points. The absence of airports has not hindered movement or access. These countries demonstrate that air travel is not essential to national connection. Their continued operation without runways reflects how transport infrastructure can be shaped by practical realities and alternative solutions.
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According to Aviation A2Z, here are six nations where planes do not land directly within their borders.
1. Andorra
Andorra is a small principality located in the Pyrenees between Spain and France. Although it covers 468 square kilometres, it does not have an airport. The region’s mountainous terrain makes building a commercial airport difficult.
Andorra has three private heliports for medical and private services. Travellers usually fly into nearby airports in Spain or France. The closest is Andorra-La Seu d’Urgell Airport (LEU) in Spain, only 12 kilometres from the border. From there, visitors continue by road through the scenic mountain routes.
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2. Liechtenstein
Liechtenstein lies between Switzerland and Austria. With an area of 160 square kilometres, this landlocked country has no airport. It does have a heliport in the town of Balzers.
Most people visiting Liechtenstein arrive via Zürich Airport (ZRH) in Switzerland. From there, they take a train to Buchs or Sargans before crossing the border by bus. Other nearby airports include St. Gallen-Altenrhein (ACH) in Switzerland and Friedrichshafen (FDH) in Germany, although these have fewer flight connections.
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3. Monaco
Monaco, located on the French Riviera, has no airport within its borders. The country covers only 2.02 square kilometres and has very limited land available for any large infrastructure project, such as an airport.
Monaco does operate a heliport in the Fontvieille district. Visitors often fly into Nice Côte d’Azur Airport (NCE), which is around 30 kilometres away. From there, they can travel to Monaco by helicopter, car, or train along the coastal route.
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4. San Marino
San Marino is one of the oldest republics in the world and is surrounded by Italy. It spans 61 square kilometres and has no airport. A heliport is located in Borgo Maggiore for limited use, and a small airstrip at Torraccia serves amateur pilots and emergency services. There are no scheduled commercial flights to the airfield.
Visitors usually fly into Federico Fellini International Airport (RMI) in Rimini, Italy, which is about 16 kilometres from San Marino. Another option is Bologna Guglielmo Marconi Airport (BLQ), which offers more international flights.
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5. Vatican City
Vatican City is the smallest country in the world by both area and population. It occupies 0.44 square kilometres within the city of Rome. Due to its size, there is no space for an airport.
A heliport located in the western part of the Vatican is used for official travel by Vatican authorities. Most visitors arrive via Rome’s international airports—Ciampino (CIA) and Fiumicino (FCO)—and then continue by ground transport to Vatican City. Walking across the entire country takes less than half an hour, making internal air travel unnecessary.
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6. Kiribati
Kiribati is an island nation in the central Pacific Ocean. It includes 33 atolls and reef islands spread over 3.5 million square kilometres of ocean. Although Bonriki International Airport (TRW) serves South Tarawa, the capital, most of the outer islands have no airports.
In many parts of Kiribati, sea transport is the only way to travel. Local ferries, cargo ships, and private boats are used to connect the remote islands. With such wide dispersion across the ocean, air access remains limited outside of the capital.
