‘Why are airports so cold?’ you find yourself pondering as you bundle up after reaching the airport. Turns out it may not just be the HVAC systems. There might be another slightly more otherworldly reason at least some airports. Paranormal is normal in these six most haunted airports in the US.
1. Savannah/Hilton Head International Airport, Georgia, USA
The Savannah/Hilton Head International Airport is the second busiest airport in Georgia. Even amidst the bustle and commotion, pilots and airport staff talk about strange unexplained ghost sightings. The story goes that if you land shortly after sundown, two figures will become manifest along the north side of the runway. This could be because there are two graves embedded in the airport’s runway! The graves of Richard and Catherine Dotson (former owners of the land where the airport now stands) are clearly visible to passengers and pilots. A photograph of these graves is even included on the airport’s website.
2. Daniel K. Inouye International Airport, Honolulu, USA
The legend goes that the Daniel K. Inouye Airport in Honolulu is haunted by ‘the Lady in Waiting.’ People at the airport have seen her standing at the gate at night, peering out at the runway. Apparently, she’s blonde, wears a white dress, and appears in places where most people are not allowed. She’s said to have fallen for a man who pledged to marry her but then up and vanished. Distraught with grief, she killed herself but still awaits his return. There are also reports of toilet paper rolls that unravel on their own, toilet seats that slam down, and a ghost who sits on people’s chests to make them feel like they are choking. Some travelers have even noticed a ghostly passenger appearing in the back seat of the airport shuttle in the middle of the night.
3. Chicago O’Hare International Airport, USA
O’Hare Airport seems to be a hotbed of mysteries. “Why doesn’t O’Hare have a terminal 4? There’s Terminals 1, 2, 3, and 5”. “Why are the flights at O’Hare always so late?” These are the more mundane among them. The hauntings in and around O’Hare Airport do have a slightly more tragic and poignant background, though. On May 25, 1979, American Airlines Flight 191, a DC 10 plane, crashed less than a mile from the end of the runway, killing all passengers and crew on board. Soon after, inhabitants of a nearby trailer park have claimed that ghosts came to their doors looking for missing luggage. Ghostly apparitions and figures have also been seen in the field where Flight 191 crashed. To this day, some lone souls still walk around where they met their untimely demise.
4. Denver International Airport, Colorado, USA
Is it even a haunted airports list if Denver Airport isn’t on it? The Mile-High airport was built on Native American sacred land (you know nothing good ever comes of that!). This has spawned reports of poltergeist activity such as chanting, weird apparitions, and other mysterious noises and occurrences. Let’s not forget ‘Blucifer’ (officially named Blue Mustang)- the 32-foot-tall horse sculpture with flaming red eyes that fell on and killed its creator, Luis Jiménez. We’re not even going into the conspiracy theories (Freemasons, Illuminati, Nazis, lizard people) that abound because that would be a whole other article.
5. Chandler Airport, Fresno, California
This historic airport has stories of paranormal activity with reports of people going through the old terminal wall! Others have reported seeing an elderly man in the old control tower peering out onto the field as if he is watching imaginary planes take off and land. There’s also been reports of disembodied voices and unexplained noises in the airport restaurant.
6. Duluth International Airport, Minnesota, USA
Security guards at Duluth Airport claim to have seen the spirit of a woman who was slain near the airport. The killer fled into the terminal after stabbing her, and the story goes that she is eternally searching for him. She’s been making her presence felt by setting off alarms and making doors open and close on their own.
What’s really weird about haunted airports is that airports aren’t usually what you would associate with hauntings. Far from derelict, they are usually some of the liveliest places on earth. They’re open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, bustling with people, baggage carousels keep turning, lights never go out, stores rarely close, and 24/7 PA announcements. Does your airport have a ghost sighting or story? Let us know if it does, and we’ll publish it along with the rest!
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