# Why no airports in Madagascar? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [March 17, 2009, 9:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-no-airports-in-madagascar/489803 "2009-03-17T21:19:22Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Dog80](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/6bbea6/32.png) [@Dog80](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dog80)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2009, 9:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-no-airports-in-madagascar/489803/1 "2009-03-17T21:19:22Z")
I read somewhere that Madagascar has no airports. Is that true? ---
**Author:** ![Giles](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/giles/32/60_2.png) [@Giles](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Giles)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2009, 9:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-no-airports-in-madagascar/489803/2 "2009-03-17T21:21:59Z")
It would be odd if an island nation had no airports. However, the capital of Madagascar has [Ivato International Airport](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ivato_Airport). ---
**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2009, 9:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-no-airports-in-madagascar/489803/3 "2009-03-17T21:25:30Z")
There are [lots](http://www.aircraft-charter-world.com/airports/africa/madagascar.htm) of other airports, too. ---
**Author:** ![GorillaMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/50afbb/32.png) [@GorillaMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GorillaMan)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2009, 9:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-no-airports-in-madagascar/489803/4 "2009-03-17T21:37:07Z")
Googling “no airports in madagascar” and variants suggests throws up a (very) few results, which involve discussions about some computer game where the island cannot be accessed by air. Maybe this has gotten translated, in jest or ignorance, as an actual truth. ---
**Author:** ![Desert\_Nomad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/desert_nomad/32/177_2.png) [@Desert\_Nomad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Desert_Nomad)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2009, 9:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-no-airports-in-madagascar/489803/5 "2009-03-17T21:38:09Z")
Of course they have airports. They also have buildings, cars, roads and electricity… even Coca Cola. Imagine that! 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Smeghead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f1d935/32.png) [@Smeghead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smeghead)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2009, 9:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-no-airports-in-madagascar/489803/6 "2009-03-17T21:46:19Z")
Madagascar has gained internet notoriety because of a game called Pandemic II, in which you design a disease to wipe out mankind. In the game, Madagascar is constantly closing its borders at the slightest sign of problems, making it frustratingly difficult to win. And, indeed, in the game, it has no airport. ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2009, 10:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-no-airports-in-madagascar/489803/7 "2009-03-17T22:02:10Z")
> [@Smeghead](#): > > Madagascar has gained internet notoriety because of a game called Pandemic II, in which you design a disease to wipe out mankind. In the game, Madagascar is constantly closing its borders at the slightest sign of problems, making it frustratingly difficult to win. And, indeed, in the game, it has no airport. Sounds like a good case of Lemur Flu would do the trick. ---
**Author:** ![Bartman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/779978/32.png) [@Bartman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bartman)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2009, 12:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-no-airports-in-madagascar/489803/8 "2009-03-18T00:07:27Z")
> [@Smeghead](#): > > Madagascar has gained internet notoriety because of a game called Pandemic II, in which you design a disease to wipe out mankind. In the game, Madagascar is constantly closing its borders at the slightest sign of problems, making it frustratingly difficult to win. And, indeed, in the game, it has no airport. Damn frustrating game. And yes Madagascar is nearly impossible to get. It has no land borders, no airport, and only a single seaport. Even if you design a disease that has no symptoms, and no ill effects. For some reason the psychics in Madagascar shut down that port. The only sure way to get them is for your pandemic to start in Magadascar. ---
**Author:** ![Keeve](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/f07891/32.png) [@Keeve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Keeve)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2009, 12:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-no-airports-in-madagascar/489803/9 "2009-03-18T00:52:55Z")
Admittedly off-topic, but Juneau, the capital city of Alaska, cannot be reached from the mainland by road, only by air or water. ---
**Author:** ![Markxxx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5daacb/32.png) [@Markxxx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Markxxx)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2009, 1:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-no-airports-in-madagascar/489803/10 "2009-03-18T01:16:01Z")
So what you’re saying is “he who controls Madagascar, RULES the world” 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2009, 1:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-no-airports-in-madagascar/489803/11 "2009-03-18T01:41:23Z")
> [@](#): > > Madagascar has gained internet notoriety because of a game called Pandemic II, in which you design a disease to wipe out mankind. In the game, Madagascar is constantly closing its borders at the slightest sign of problems, making it frustratingly difficult to win. And, indeed, in the game, it has no airport. A [thread](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=476613) on the game.