As of 2020, the global aviation industry is valued at a staggering $ 686 billion. Industry growth had been impressive before the new coronavirus pandemic, with IATA forecasting a staggering 8.2 billion air travelers in 2037. If you travel frequently by plane, chances are you’ve come across airports that seem to have endless escalators and corridors. Getting to your boarding gate at these airports can seem like an impossible feat. You must have heard about or been to airports that feel like almost a city. Most international airports have thousands of retail outlets and food joints that make them even better. But have you ever wondered which are the largest and biggest airports in the world? In this article, we are discussing some of the largest airports in the world. These are some of the busiest airports as well. To know more in detail, continue reading!
Biggest Airports in the World
Suvarnabhumi International Airport (BKK)
Suvarnabhumi International Airport is the largest international airport in the Southeast Asian region. The airport was opened in the year 2006 and is currently the major hub for Thai Smile, Thai Airways, and many other prominent airline companies operating in Asia.
This airport has three terminals. Terminal 1 and terminal 2 mostly handle international flights while Terminal 3 is only for domestic flights.
Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL)
The Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL) serves as the primary international airport in the Atlanta region. According to several reports, this is the world’s second-busiest airport. The total passenger count is 42,918,685. However, due to the global pandemic, the number of passengers has decreased by 61.2%.
Beijing Daxing International Airport (PKX)
As the name suggests, Beijing Daxing International Airport is located in Beijing, China. Opened in 2019, the airport terminal building spans a whopping 7.5 million square feet. The entire airport covers approximately 18 square mile area. The government has to spend $11 billion on building this airport.
Everything in the largest airport in the world has to do with comfort and respect for the environment. There are countless solar panels, water management systems, and waste heat recovery systems to limit the airport’s impact on the environment. The airport has big plans for the future. For example, the airport plans to have flights covering 112 fantastic destinations around the world.
King Fahd International Airport (DMM)
This airport is located in Dammam, Saudi Arabia, King Fahd International Airport held the top position for the world’s largest airport until the opening of Beijing Daxing International Airport. The terminal area of King Fahd International Airport covers 3.5 million square feet. Its total area is 780 square kilometers. The airport was opened in 1999 and is a hub for three main airlines: Saudi Gulf Airlines, Saudia, and Aramco Aviation. The airport has a mosque that can accommodate more than 2,000 worshipers. There is also a Hilton hotel within the park, among many other amenities. King Fahd International Airport handles more than 12 million travelers a year.
Cairo International Airport (CAI)
The Cairo International Airport started operating n the year 1945. It is located in Heliopolis and is amongst some of the busiest airports in Egypt. It is the primary hub for Nile Air and Egypt Air. The airport has four terminals in total. Three major terminals serve both international and national/ domestic flights. In the year 2011, the new terminal called Seasonal Flight Terminal (SFT) was opened to meet the requirement of domestic flights during the pilgrim season. The airport has two runways.
Shanghai Pudong International Airport (PVG)
The airport started offering commercial service in the year 1999. It is the major aviation hub for Shanghai Airlines and China Eastern Airlines. Pudong Airport has two main passenger terminals. Terminal 1 and Terminal 2 operate national and international flights. From 2015 a third terminal is planned, in addition to the satellite terminal and two further runways. The airport currently has four runways.
Denver International Airport (DEN)
Denver International Airport is located in the United States. It is the largest airport in the United States, in terms of square miles. The airport spans a whopping 52.4 square miles. Although Denver International Airport primarily serves the Colorado area, it also has flights to more than 215 destinations. The airport employs more than 35,000 employees, making it the largest employer in the entire state of Colorado. Denver International Airport has about 23 different airlines operating out of it. In 2019, the airport served more than 69 million travelers.
Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport (DFW)
This particular airport is known to be the fourth-largest airport in the world. The Dallas airport is situated in the United States. The airport is so large that it has its ZIP Code. The postal service considers the Dallas airport as a different city. The airport covers a whopping 27 square miles. In addition to the Dallas / Fort Worth areas, the airport serves 260 other destinations. Dallas / Fort Worth International Airport is home to American Airlines.
George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH)
Based in Houston, Texas, George Bush Intercontinental Airport is the seventh-largest airport in the world. The airport spans 10,000 acres. But while this airport is smaller than Washington Dulles International Airport, it handles more than twice the passenger traffic. Each year, the airport serves more than 45 million passengers. George Bush International Airport is another United Airlines headquarters.
Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL)
Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport opened in 1980. Since 1998, the airport has been topping the list as the busiest in the world, with a staggering 107.4 million passengers in 2018. One of the things that make this airport so popular is its convenient location. Atlanta is only a two-hour flight from the vast majority of the American population. Most of the airport traffic is destined for domestic locations.
Los Angeles International Airport (LAX)
Los Angeles International Airport is the busiest airport in the world in terms of origin and destination. This means that compared to other airports, more travelers start or end their journey there rather than using it as a connection.
In 2018, more than 87.5 million travelers used LAX. The airport has a private suite reserved for members only. Members have access to a VIP terminal which is more like a private flight. Membership in this club is made up primarily of corporate executives and celebrities.
So there you have it, these are some of the busiest and biggest airports in the world. As you can see from the list above that most airports are very large, almost like an entire city. The amount of traffic they can handle every year is also huge.
Where are you planning to travel next? It might also interest you to know the Air Hostess Salary of All Airlines.
