The Airport City Race: Who's Leading The Global Pack?

When people refer to big airports, they usually think of large hubs with many passengers. While bigger doesn't always mean busier, some of the biggest airports are also the busiest. The largest airports in the world are those with the highest total acreage of land. King Fahd International Airport near Dammam, Saudi Arabia, is the biggest airport in the world by land area, covering 780 square kilometres (300 square miles). Denver Airport is the biggest airport in the US, and Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson Airport is the busiest airport in the world for passenger traffic.

Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International Airport is the world's busiest airport

Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL) is the world's busiest airport by passenger traffic. Located 10 miles (16 km) south of Downtown Atlanta, Georgia, the airport covers 4,700 acres (7.3 sq mi; 19 km2) of land. It has five parallel runways, three of which are 9,000 feet (2,743 m) long, one that is 10,000 feet (3,048 m) long, and the longest runway measuring 12,390 feet (3,776 m) in length, capable of handling the Airbus A380.

Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International Airport has been the busiest airport in the world since 1998, except for 2020 when its passenger traffic decreased due to COVID-19 travel restrictions. In 2022, the airport served 93,699,630 passengers, and in 2023, it served over 104.6 million passengers, the highest of any airport worldwide. The airport is also the busiest by aircraft movements, with approximately 1,000 flights daily to 225 domestic and international destinations.

The airport serves as the primary international airport for Atlanta and its surrounding metropolitan area. It is named after former Atlanta mayors William B. Hartsfield and Maynard Jackson. The airport's history dates back to 1925 when Mayor Walter Sims signed a five-year, rent-free lease on an abandoned auto racetrack, intending to develop it into an airfield. The airfield was initially named Candler Field after former Atlanta mayor Asa Candler.

Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International Airport is the primary hub and corporate headquarters of Delta Air Lines, which has been using Atlanta as its chief hub since 1930. The airport is also a base for low-cost carriers Frontier Airlines, Southwest Airlines, and Spirit Airlines. It offers international services within North America and to Latin America, Europe, Africa, the Middle East, and East Asia.

The airport's convenient location makes it a popular choice for transfers. It is within a two-hour flight of around 80% of the United States population and does not face competition from other nearby airports. Additionally, the airport has a private terminal, The Private Suite, which offers exclusive services to its customers.

King Fahd International Airport is the largest airport in the world

King Fahd International Airport (KFIA) is the largest airport in the world, covering a staggering 780 square kilometres or about 300 square miles. This makes it larger than the neighbouring country of Bahrain, which has three airports of its own. In fact, it is even bigger than iconic cities like Paris, with an area eight times bigger than the French capital. The airport is so big that it could accommodate several small Indian cities, each typically around 121 square kilometres in area.

Located in the Saudi Arabian city of Dammam, the airport is named after King Fahd, under whose reign it was constructed and inaugurated. The design of the airport building began in 1976, with construction starting in 1983. The basic infrastructure of the airport was completed by the end of 1990, and it was opened to commercial traffic on 28 November 1999.

The airport's vast size includes a mosque that can accommodate up to 2,000 people, residential housing for up to 3,000 people, and onsite greenhouses. It is classified as Code E by the ICAO, which means it can easily accommodate large aircraft such as the Boeing 747-400 and A340-600. The six-story main terminal building has a total area of 327,000 square metres (3,520,000 square feet). The airport also has dedicated cargo facilities, extensive aprons, warehouses, and logistics centres, making it a vital hub for global trade and logistics.

King Fahd International Airport has become a bustling hub, serving millions of passengers annually and boasting state-of-the-art facilities and infrastructure. It operates as a base for low-cost carriers flynas and flyadeal, connecting to various destinations worldwide. The airport also sees a handful of wide-body flights to Europe, operated by Lufthansa and KLM.

Tampa International Airport is a local airport in Florida

Tampa International Airport has a rich history dating back to the mid-1940s when Eastern Air Lines and National Airlines moved their operations to Drew Field from Peter O. Knight Airport, which could not accommodate the larger aircraft coming into service at the time. The airport was initially known as Drew Field before being renamed Tampa International Airport in 1950 when Trans Canada Airlines began offering international flights.

The airport has continued to expand and improve its facilities over the years. In February 2024, CEO Joe Lopano, who was credited with enhancing Tampa's status as a hub, announced his retirement. The airport's board responded by initiating an internal search for his replacement.

Tampa International Airport has also gained attention for its unique approach to social media. In March 2025, a tongue-in-cheek post sparked concern among some that the airport was closing. The post, meant to highlight the airport's diverse destinations and public art program, included a reference to the beloved 21-foot flamingo sculpture, "Phoebe", located in the main terminal.

The airport has also become a testing ground for "airport theory," a TikTok trend where individuals challenge the recommended arrival time before a flight. Content creators have shared their experiences at Tampa International Airport, including timing their journey from the parking lot to the boarding gate. These videos have sparked discussions about the necessary time buffer for a stress-free airport experience.

Atlanta's Hartsfield-Jackson Airport has exclusive terminals for the rich and famous

Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International Airport in Atlanta, Georgia, is the world's busiest airport for passengers, serving 93,699,630 people in 2022. It is also known for its exclusive terminals for the rich and famous.

A private luxury airport terminal operator, PS (formerly known as The Private Suite), has operated a private terminal at the Hartsfield-Jackson Airport since 2022. PS is known for catering to celebrities and other wealthy customers, providing exclusive entry and exit from the airport. The company offers comfortable accommodations, valet parking, private suites, dedicated customs, and security.

PS partnered with Signature Aviation, which operates an aviation terminal for private aircraft at the Atlanta airport, to lease one of its buildings on the north side of Hartsfield-Jackson's airfield. This partnership allows passengers to bypass the main security lines and check in at the new private terminal. Signature Flight Support, a subsidiary of Signature Aviation, handles private jets and sports charters at Hartsfield-Jackson.

PS's exclusive services come at a high cost, with their all-access annual membership priced at $4,850. The company's entry into the Atlanta market follows Signature's expansion of its facilities at Hartsfield-Jackson, including the development of a $5.5 million elite VIP terminal. Atlanta is a frequent gateway for celebrities, thanks to Georgia's thriving film industry, which has made the state one of the top destinations for TV and movie production globally.

Atlanta's Hartsfield-Jackson Airport experienced one of its biggest brawls

Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International Airport in Atlanta, Georgia, is the busiest airport in the world for passengers, serving 93,699,630 people in 2022. The airport is also Delta Air Lines' biggest hub and is within a two-hour flight of around 80% of the US population.

On February 19, 2025, a massive brawl broke out at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport. Dozens of travellers were caught on camera punching and kicking each other in a waiting area near a Spirit Airlines boarding gate. The video of the brawl, which has since gone viral, shows a chaotic crowd and a woman standing on a chair at the departure gate, punching people. Some travellers were seen frantically rushing away from the violence, while others were trying to get their children away from the carnage. Witnesses pleaded for the fighting to stop, but their pleas were ignored.

The cause of the brawl is unclear, and it is unknown whether any of the travellers involved faced consequences. However, by the time the Atlanta police arrived at the gate, the crowd had dispersed. This incident is considered one of the biggest brawls ever to have occurred at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport.

The airport has previously experienced other chaotic events, such as neurosurgeon and content creator Betsy Grunch's attempt at the "airport theory" trend, where travellers arrive at the airport as little as 15 minutes before their flight boards. Grunch, who has 2.4 million TikTok followers, documented her experience at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta, the world's busiest airport, where she managed to board her flight despite having only 26 minutes to spare.

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