The World’s Top 10 Airports
Rankings are made between airports according to various criteria every year. Various lists are prepared based on criteria such as passenger traffic, delay rate, distance between terminals and ease of transportation, fast security passage, dining and shopping opportunities.
One of the most curious subjects is which are the biggest airports in the world. Here are the largest airports by area:
- King Fahd International Airport (776 km2)
King Fahd International Airport, located in Dammam, Saudi Arabia, is the world’s largest airport with 776 square kilometers. So much so that it has an area that spans six times the world’s second largest airport. Saudi Arabia’s smaller neighbor is bigger than Bahrain, as well as cities such as Amsterdam, Birmingham and Marseille.
However, only 5 percent of the area, which has only two runways and two terminals, one of which is reserved for royal family members, is used for passenger traffic. Although King Fahd International Airport serves 27 airlines, it is not among the busiest airports in the world with only 9 million passengers annually.
The airport, which was opened to commercial flights on November 28, 1999, is named after King Fahd bin Abdulaziz al Saud, who ruled Saudi Arabia between 1982-2005.
2- Denver International Airport (135.71 km2)
Denver International Airport (DIA) is the second largest airport in the world and the largest in the USA, with a surface area of approximately 136 square kilometers. It is used by 23 airline companies that fly to more than 200 destinations in North America, Latin America, Europe and Asia. It ranks 20th in the list of the busiest airports in the world in terms of passenger traffic and fifth in the USA.
The airport, which started to serve in 1995, has six runways. One of them, with a length of 4.88 kilometers, is one of the longest runways used for commercial flights in North America. With more than 35,000 employees, Denver International Airport is considered the largest employer in the US state of Colorado. In 2018, it was selected as the “Best Airport in the World” by Skytrax.
- Dallas / Fort Worth International Airport (69.63 km2)
Although Dallas / Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) is third on the list of the world’s largest, it is 11 times smaller than the first-ranked King Fahd International Airport and twice the second-ranked Denver International Airport. However, it is huge enough to have its own private postal code.
There are seven runways operational at Dallas / Fort Worth International Airport. According to statistics, 10 million passengers a year use each of the tracks, with 1 million passengers per square kilometer per year in the area. The airport currently has 165 gates and 5 terminals.
Dallas-Fort Worth is the largest transfer point of American Airlines (American Airlines), which has the world’s largest fleet. About 70 percent of American Airlines flights depart or land from Dallas-Fort Worth.
- Orlando International Airport (53.83 km2)
Used as an American Air Force base until the end of the Vietnam War in 1975, Orlando International Airport (MCO) is the main airport in the US state of Florida. Spread over approximately 54 square kilometers, the port serves more than 47 million passengers a year with its four runways. On a daily basis, 44 airlines fly more than 850 flights at Orlando Airport.
5- Washington Dulles International Airport (48.56 km2)
Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD), which is 45 minutes away from Washington D.C., the capital of the USA, serves more than 24 million passengers a year. From the airport used by 60 thousand passengers a day, flights are made to 125 destinations around the world.
6- Shanghai Pudong International Airport (39.88 km2)
Shanghai, one of the world’s most populous cities and known for its advanced transportation system, is also home to one of the world’s largest airports. Shanghai Pudong International Airport (PVG), with its two terminals and five runways, serves more than 70 million passengers a year. It is one of the main bases of China Eastern and Shanghai airlines.
7- Cairo International Airport (36.25 km2)
The largest in Africa, O.R. in Johannesburg. It is also the second busiest airport after Tambo International Airport. Cairo International Airport (CAI), used by the Allies during World War II, was transformed into a civilian airport after the war. Today it has three terminals and three asphalt tracks. Cairo International Airport, which is used as a home base by Egypt’s two largest airline companies EgyptAir and Nile Air, serves approximately 15 million passengers annually.
8- Suvarnabhumi Airport (32.4 km2)
Suvarnabhumi Airport (BKK), also known as Bangkok Airport, is also home to one of the tallest control towers in the world. Costing $ 18 million, the 132-meter-high control tower drives 76 aircraft per hour. Opened in 2006 after a six-year construction process, Suvarnabhumi is one of the most photographed places worldwide with its distinctive architectural design.
Serving approximately 60 million passengers a year, Suvarnabhumi is used as a home base by leading airline companies in Asia such as Bangkok Airways and Jet Asia Airways. The word ‘Suvarnabhumi’ means ‘Golden Land’ in Sanskrit referring to a legendary place.
9- Charles De Gaulle Airport (32.37 km2)
Paris Charles de Gaulle International Airport (CDG), named after the ex-president of France, Charles de Gaulle, is one of Europe’s busiest airports with an annual passenger traffic of 70 million. CDG, the home base of Air France, one of the largest airline companies in the continent, serves 70 million passengers annually. It is also known as Roissy Airport in France, as it is located in the Roissy-en-France region, 23 kilometers northeast of Paris.
10- Madrid-Barajas Adolfo Suárez International Airport (30.5 km2)
dolfo Suarez Madrid-Barajas International Airport (MAD) located 13 kilometers from the center of Madrid, the capital of Spain, takes its name from Adolfo Suárez, one of the country’s former prime ministers. Opened in 1928, the airport is considered one of Europe’s most important transportation hubs. As Iberia’s home base, it serves around 60 million passengers a year. Madrid-Barajas International Airport has five terminals and four runways.
The air transportation industry absolutely hits a new high, Feb. 2021https://www.okupark.com/en/the-air-transportation-industry-in-mainland-china-has-experienced-amazing-growth-and-passenger-travel-remains-in-a-sluggish-state-during-the-pandemic/