Ghostly Gateways: Haunted Airports Around the World

A recent family illness required me to travel from my home in the Scottish Highlands to the west coast of the United States. During a layover at Amsterdam's Schiphol Airport, with some time to spare, I began to wonder about the history of paranormal activity at airports. To my surprise, I discovered reports of such activity, especially in airports I had passed through. This piqued my curiosity, and I found myself diving into a rabbit hole of research for the remainder of my layover.

Heathrow Airport, in London, England, is a place I have passed through so many times that I've lost count. It is also believed to be home to several spirits. On March 2, 1948, a Douglas DC-3C flown by Belgium's Sabena Airlines crashed while attempting to land in bad weather. It is said that during the rescue efforts, a gentleman repeatedly approached the rescue workers, asking if they had seen his briefcase. Preoccupied with more urgent matters, the rescuers brushed him off, but were later shocked to see the exact same man, dead in his seat. This was not the only appearance of the gentleman; in 1970, a radar operator picked up a signal at the crash site that resembled the figure of a person. An airport fire truck and police were sent to the location but found no one there. The gentleman has also been sighted near the departure gates, perhaps still searching for his lost briefcase.

This ghostly passenger is not the only ghost said to haunt the airport. The famous highwayman, Dick Turpin, is also believed to roam the area. He has not only been seen riding a large black stallion in the grassy areas of the airport but also sighted within the airport facility itself. Some witnesses have reported hearing him barking and howling behind them, but upon turning around, they found no one there.

Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport spans 7,627 acres and is one of the busiest airports in the world, with nearly 74 million passengers passing through in 2023. On the afternoon of May 25, 1979, American Airlines Flight 191 bound for Los Angeles International Airport was taking off when its left engine detached, damaging the left wing in the process. The plane continued to take off but rolled and crashed shortly after near the end of the runway, resulting in the loss of 273 lives (247 passengers, 13 crew members, and 2 ground crew). Not long after the crash, local police began to receive reports of glowing orbs and vanishing figures around the crash site. More recently, residents of a trailer park now located near the crash site have reported mysterious figures coming to their doors looking for lost luggage, as well as claims of screaming, moaning, and shouting emanating from the crash site itself. However, when investigated, no one is found.

John Wayne Airport is located in the Southern California city of Santa Ana. While not as large as some of the other airports on this list, it has still managed to attract attention from beyond the grave. Although the airport itself is not haunted, a strange event occurred in the skies directly overhead. Donald “Deke” Slayton, both an astronaut—one of the original Mercury Seven—and a test pilot, was involved in an eerie incident. On the morning of June 13, 1993, the noise monitors at John Wayne Airport were triggered by a very distinctive sound, that of an experimental aircraft owned and flown by Deke. Since there is a noise curfew in the area surrounding the airport, the detection of this extremely loud noise after the curfew, and the noise being unique to Slayton’s aircraft, led to a warning letter being sent to his house for the curfew violation. As I mentioned, the noise was unique to the experimental aircraft owned by Slayton, leading the airport to believe they had found their culprit; however, this was not the case. Donald Slayton had passed away five hours earlier, and the plane itself had been donated to a museum many months prior.

Denver International Airport is no stranger to the unusual, with claims surrounding it that include being the secret headquarters for the New World Order, harbouring a secret underground bunker for the world elite in case of an apocalypse, and serving as an underground base for reptilian aliens. These stories contribute to the airport's mystique. Additionally, the airport is said to be haunted. Reports of shadow people, especially from the lower levels where luggage is transported between terminals and aircraft, are frequent. These reports also emerged during the construction of the airport. One notable encounter involved construction workers witnessing a shadowy figure walking in front of active tunnelling equipment. When the figure failed to reappear on the other side, construction was halted due to concerns for the person's safety, but no evidence of anyone's presence was found. The sightings of shadow figures have led some to speculate whether they are connected to the ancient Native American burial ground on which the airport was supposedly built. Although no evidence of such a burial ground was found during construction, Native American spiritual leaders performed a ceremony in 1995 to appease any restless ancient spirits, just to be on the safe side.

The Bay Area is one of my favourite places to visit, and San Francisco International Airport often serves as my gateway. The supernatural stories at this location are not where the passengers congregate, but rather where members of staff spend their downtime. There are areas equipped with beds so staff members can sleep when on call. It is rumoured that this area is haunted by an angry poltergeist. Reports include objects moving on their own and even a cell phone being violently thrown across the room.

The locations I've written about above are all airports I've passed through myself, but they represent just a small selection of allegedly haunted airports around the world. Next time you're flying, whether it's for business or leisure, maybe take a closer look at that fellow traveler who looks slightly out of place, perhaps wearing clothes from a bygone era. You never know.