OAG Travel News

Imagine living in a country or a region without scheduled commercial air service.  For me – and other aviation enthusiasts – just the thought is too much to bear!  This week I used my OAG database to determine the four countries and independent regions of the world are without this vital link, and examined nearby airports – all across international borders.

Andorra
The Principality of Andorra is located in the Pyrenees Mountains between France and Spain.  The geography is primarily rugged mountains, rendering commercial flights nearly impossible.  Nearby airports include Barcelona, Spain (BCN) and Toulouse, France (TLS) – both about three hours from Andorra.  There are plans for an airport about 15 miles from the Andorra/Spain border… but the airport would be in Seu d'Urgell, Spain, leaving Andorra

Liechtenstein
The Principality of Liechtenstein is situated between Austria and Switzerland, just south of Germany.  Nearby airports are located in Altenrhein, Switzerland (ACH), Friedrichshafen, Germany (FDH), and Zurich, Switzerland (ZRH).

San Marino
Like Andorra and Liechtenstein, The Most Serene Republic of San Marino is a tiny country in Europe.  San Marino is located in the Apennine Mountains, completely surrounded by Italy.  Three Italian airports are nearby – Rimini (RMI), Forli (FRL), and Florence (FLR).

Western Sahara
Western Sahara is a disputed territory located on the northwest coast of Africa bordered by Morocco, Mauritania and Algeria.  The United Nations currently monitors the territory through the United Nations Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara.  Although there are three airports with paved runways in Western Sahara, none of them currently enjoy scheduled commercial air service, according to OAG.  Nearby airports are located in Mauritania (Zouerate [OUZ] and Nouadhibou [NDB]), and in Morocco (Tan Tan [TTN] and Goulimime [GLN]).

Source: Official Airline Guide (OAG) Schedule Tapes for all months in calendar year 2009; www.andorra.ad; www.liechtenstein.li; www.visitsanmarino.com; Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) World Factbook; United Nations; www.onthesnow.com 

Original article by Laura Jackson