The air gate of any state is its business card. That is why governments of many countries do not spare money on the construction of truly colossal airports equipped with the latest technology. Such facilities provide jobs for thousands of people, and the shops, hotels and other infrastructure facilities located inside bring in considerable additional profit.
In our rating, we have collected the largest airports in the world by passenger traffic. And we will also tell you about the largest airport in the world by area.
The world's largest airports by passenger traffic
10. Sheremetyevo (Russia, Moscow) – 45.8 million people/year
Among the largest airports in Russia in terms of passenger traffic, the undisputed leader is Moscow's Sheremetyevo named after A.S. Pushkin. In 2018, it far outstripped Domodedovo, the second largest airport in Moscow in terms of passenger traffic (45.8 million people versus 29.4 million people, respectively).
However, despite the impressive figure for Russia, Sheremetyevo lags far behind its European and American counterparts. There, to enter the top ten, it needs to have a passenger flow of 69 million people, like the French airport Charles de Gaulle.
9. Shanghai Pudong International Airport (China, Shanghai) – 70 million people/year
This airport was opened in 1999 to relieve pressure on Shanghai's other airport, Hongqiao. Since then, Shanghai Pudong has become one of the busiest airports in China. Hongqiao is still a major airport, but it serves mostly domestic flights, while Pudong has both domestic and international flights.
The airport management has grand plans to overtake Hong Kong in passenger traffic in the next couple of years. To do this, they plan to build another main terminal, as well as a satellite terminal with two additional runways, which will increase Shanghai Pudong's annual passenger capacity to 80 million people. Last year, it received 70 million people.
8. Hong Kong International Airport (Hong Kong) – 72.8 million people/year
This large airport, informally known as Chek Lap Kok, was built to replace Kai Tak Airport (formerly Hong Kong International Airport) and opened in July 1998. Kai Tak, built in 1925, had only one runway (it was notoriously dangerous, and a real challenge for any pilot who had to land there).
The new Chek Lap Kok Airport was designed to handle the huge number of passengers, with two runways and a huge service area. It currently handles over 1,100 flights a day, employs over 73,000 staff, and has over 320 shops and 100 restaurants. Last year, 72.8 million passengers passed through Hong Kong International Airport.
It has also received an impressive array of awards, including Skytrax's 'World's Best Airport' in 2001-2005, 2007-2008 and 2011.
7. Heathrow (Great Britain, London) – 78 million people/year
The international air gate of the British capital receives 78 million passengers annually. Heathrow is the busiest airport in Europe.
By the way, the airport is not very well located – the runways are in a lowland where the famous London fog often gathers. However, in case of a flight delay, passengers can while away the time in one of the best Duty Free shops in the world.
6. O'Hare International Airport (USA, Chicago) – 79.8 million people/year
Located northwest of Chicago, O'Hare International Airport is the third-busiest airport in the United States. In 2018, it handled 79.8 million passengers, making it the sixth-busiest airport in the world.
In fact, O'Hare was the busiest airport in the world until 1998, when it was displaced by Atlanta's Hartsfield-Jackson.
O'Hare is a very important strategic partner for several of the largest airlines in the United States. It is home to United Airlines' largest hub, both in terms of annual passengers and daily flights. It is also the second largest hub for American Airlines, playing a huge role in their business in the Midwest.
In 2017, O'Hare was ranked as the largest mega-hub in the United States (and the fourth largest in the world), meaning it has the highest possible number of connections between incoming and outgoing flights during any six-hour window.
5. Los Angeles International Airport (USA, Los Angeles) – 84.5 million people/year
In fifth place, with 84.5 million passengers, is Los Angeles International Airport. It is the second-largest airport in the United States and the only airport in the world that all three American carriers (American, Delta, and United) have chosen as a hub.
In May 2017, it also became home to the first private terminal in the United States, located at the back of the airport, away from the public and paparazzi. Celebrities only have to walk 70 steps from the terminal to the plane, compared to more than 2,000 steps for regular passengers.
4. Tokyo Haneda International Airport (Japan, Tokyo) – 85.2 million people/year
Initially, this airport was intended for domestic flights, while international flights were handled by the capital's second airport, Narita. However, in recent years, most Asian airlines have moved here, which has made
Tokyo International Airport is one of the busiest in Asia, handling approximately 85.2 million passengers annually.
3. Al Maktoum (UAE, Dubai) – 88 million people/year
The project, worth $33 billion, began operations in 2010. The airport is currently in the development stage and after all work is completed, it will certainly become the largest in the world.
The airport area, including infrastructure facilities, is about 140 thousand square kilometers, which is slightly smaller than the area of Liechtenstein. Al Maktoum is one of the few airports capable of receiving the world's largest passenger airliners, the Airbus A380.
By 2019, Al Maktoum Airport had an annual capacity of over 88 million people.
2. Shoudu (China, Beijing) – 95 million people/year
The world's second-largest airport by passenger traffic began operations before the Beijing Olympics in 2008. Despite its relatively small footprint of 1.7 square kilometers, Beijing Capital Airport handles more than a thousand flights daily. More than 95 million people pass through it.
The airport is equipped with the latest technology. Passengers have access to high-speed Wi-Fi Internet, and the sorting of luggage of millions of people is completely automatic on the airport's underground floor. The highlight of the airport is the winter garden, built in the waiting room, and repeating the gardens of the imperial palace.
1. Hartsfield-Jackson (USA, Atlanta) – 104 million people/year
Among the world's largest airports, none can compete with Atlanta Airport in terms of passenger traffic. The busiest airport in the world receives over 100 million passengers annually. In 2018, this figure reached 103.9 million people.
All six airport halls are connected by an automated passenger transportation system – these are comfortable electric trains that do not require the presence of a driver.
By the way, in the States, airplanes are the most popular form of transport for long trips. Local airlines set the cost of flights comparable to the cost of ground transportation.
The largest airport in the world by area
King Fahd International Airport, located near Dammam, Saudi Arabia, is spread across 77,600 hectares (776 sq km), making all the other airports on this list look like a Lego car set compared to a real car.
In the early 1990s, the airport was home to aircraft involved in the Gulf War, and in 1999, it was converted to commercial use.
The Saudi airport is larger than some of the world's smallest countries, such as Bahrain and Grenada. But here's a fun fact: only 3,675 hectares of that area (less than 5% of available space) is used for airport space.
If we were to indicate the actual size of the airport, it would not be able to claim the title of "largest airport".
Due to its inconvenient location, King Fahd International Airport is underutilized in terms of passenger traffic (around 5 million passengers per year). So, it can be said that the largest airport in the world is the least productive. But it is proud to serve the royal family of Saudi Arabia, for which the Royal Terminal was specially built.
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