World's 10 most stunning airport approaches

1. Malta Airport (Malta) – Malta Airport tops the list for the first time this year. "Approached from a churning blue sea, the tiny, isolated rocky island nation suddenly appears," says PrivateFly judge Joe Sharkey.

2. Nice Cote d'Azur Airport (France) – Nice Cote d'Azur Airport is located six
kilometers southwest of Nice, in the Alpes-Maritimes department of France. It's the 
main point of arrival for passengers to the French Riviera.

3. Queenstown Airport (New Zealand) – Located in the heart of the NZ South Island's
magical landscapes of mountains, lakes, and rivers, there's little surprise Queenstown 
Airport again ranks among the world's most scenic airport approaches.

4. Barra Airport (UK) – Barra Airport in Scotland is the only airport in the world where 
scheduled and private charter flights land and take off from the beach. At high tide, the
runways are under water, says PrivateFly.

5. Juancho E Irausquin Airport (Saba) – Juancho E Irausquin Airport is the only 
airport on the Caribbean island of Saba, a special municipality of the Netherlands. 
It's got the shortest commercial runway in the world (396 meters) and is flanked on 
one side by high hills, with cliffs that drop into the sea at both ends. Due to the runway 
length, only small aircraft and helicopters use it.

6. Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport (Canada) – Commonly known as Toronto Island Airport, Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport is a small facility located on an island in Lake Ontario in Canada's largest city. It's accessed by passenger ferry and is used by regional airlines and smaller air services.

7. Donegal Airport (Ireland) – "You arrive in the Emerald Isle adjacent to one of the most beautiful beaches in the world, Carrickfinn, with a backdrop of the majestic Mount Errigal on one side and an array of craggy islands on the other." That's one PrivateFly user's enthusiastic verdict on this airport on Ireland's Atlantic coast.

8. St. Maarten Airport (Saint Martin) – At this Caribbean island airport, the approach is "so low you can almost read the sunbathers' newspapers," says PrivateFly CEO Adam Twidell.

9. Los Angeles International Airport – "The descent over the mountains takes one
from desert to the lush Pacific Coast and on a westward approach gives those on the
right-hand side a bird's-eye view of downtown, the Hollywood sign, and Beverly 
Hills," says poll judge Doug Gollan.

10. London City Airport (UK) – Flying into London City Airport on a clear day, those 
in window seats get views of the Thames and London landmarks. For pilots, it's challenging. PrivateFly says the glide path is set at stomach-churning 5.8 degrees as opposed to the usual 3-degree glide path.

(CNN)They don't have airplanes in "Game of Thrones" but if they did, there'd be no finer 

arrival in King's Landing than Malta Airport.

The spectacular walled city of Valletta, so familiar from the HBO show, rises up from 

the turquoise the Mediterranean Sea while airline passengers also get a bird's-eye view of the 

sister islands of Gozo and Comino, known for its Blue Lagoon.

No wonder Malta has topped a global survey of the world's most scenic airport 
approaches, conducted by PrivateFly, a booking platform for private jet charters.

"Flying into Malta is a truly special experience," says Adam Twidell, PrivateFly CEO and an

 experienced pilot. "It's a tiny island landing that packs a big punch."

When you're flying into these 10 beauties, which offer views of everything from mountainous 

landscapes to glittering skyscrapers, you're going to want to be in the window seat.

In Ireland, the Donegal Airport approach flies over Carrickfinn beach and majestic Mount 

Errigal.

France's Nice Cote D'Azur Airport and New Zealand's Queenstown Airport came in second 

and third place in the 2016 poll, having topped the list in 2015 and 2014 respectively.

Malta made its debut at the top of the charts while the other new entries were Los Angeles

 International Airport, at number 9, and Ireland's Donegal Airport, at number 7.

Los Angeles' LAX offers views of downtown, the Pacific Coast, Beverly Hills and the iconic 

Hollywood sign.

And at the other end of the scale, isolated Donegal Airport offers spectacular views of 

Ireland's rugged Atlantic coast.

The PrivateFly Best Airport Approaches 2016 poll was conducted in February and March of 

this year and received more than 7,500 individual votes, says the company.

A total of 115 global airports received nominations.

"PrivateFly's poll has become an annual checklist for the well-traveled, and this year's voting 

was the most competitive yet," says Twidell.

"2016 top ten includes the imposing city views of Los Angeles and London City; the 

stunning mountain scenery of Queenstown; the tiny island airstrip of Saba in the Caribbean

 [the world's shortest commercial runway]; and the unique beach landing at Barra in 

Scotland's Outer Hebrides."

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Here are the top 10 scenic airport approaches, according to PrivateFly's 2016 survey:

1. Malta Airport, Malta

2. Nice Cote D'Azur Airport, France

3. Queenstown Airport, New Zealand

4. Barra Airport, Scotland, UK

5. Saba Airport (Juancho E Yrausquin), Caribbean Netherlands

6. Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport, Canada

7. Donegal Airport, Ireland

8. St. Maarten Airport (Princess Juliana International), Caribbean

9. Los Angeles International Airport, California

10. London City Airport, UK

Previous winners of the annual poll include Queenstown Airport in New Zealand (2015), Nice

Cote D'Azur (2014), St. Maarten in the Caribbean (2013) and Barra in Scotland's Outer 

Hebrides (2012).