Lois Larson
When people refer to big airports, they usually think of large hubs with huge numbers of passengers. However, bigger doesn't always mean busier. The largest airports in the world are those that occupy the highest total acreage of land. By this metric, King Fahd International Airport in Dammam, Saudi Arabia, is the world's biggest airport by a significant margin. Covering nearly 300 square miles, it is about the same size as neighbouring Bahrain. However, King Fahd International Airport only hosts around 9.7 million passengers annually, placing it outside the top 100 in terms of traffic. In contrast, more than half of the biggest airports in the world are in the United States, including the second-biggest, Denver International Airport, which covers 53 square miles.
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What You'll Learn
- Saudi Arabia's King Fahd International Airport is the world's largest by land area
- Denver International Airport is the second-biggest airport worldwide
- Beijing Daxing International Airport has the largest terminal
- Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport is one of the biggest and busiest
- Dallas Fort Worth International Airport is the biggest in Texas
Saudi Arabia's King Fahd International Airport is the world's largest by land area
Saudi Arabia's King Fahd International Airport is a marvel of human ingenuity and aviation engineering. Covering a staggering area of 300 square miles (776 square kilometres), it is the world's largest airport by land area. To put this into perspective, the airport is larger than entire nations like Bahrain.
Located in the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia, the airport is named after the former King of Saudi Arabia, Fahd ibn Abdulaziz, whose reign saw the airport's construction and inauguration. The airport is situated about 20 kilometres (12 miles) northwest of downtown Dammam, the capital of the Eastern Province.
King Fahd International Airport boasts three passenger terminals, including a separate terminal for the arrival of pilgrims performing Hajj and Umrah. The airport also features two parallel runways, each approximately 4,000 metres (13,123 feet) long, capable of accommodating large and long-haul aircraft.
The airport offers a wide range of facilities and services for travellers, including duty-free shops, restaurants, cafes, car rental services, currency exchange, and lounges for premium passengers. It is also home to a mosque that can accommodate up to 2,000 worshippers, residential housing for thousands, and onsite greenhouses supplying landscaping plants.
Serving as a pivotal hub for domestic and international flights, King Fahd International Airport connects Dammam to destinations worldwide. It is a base for two of Saudi Arabia's largest low-cost carriers, flynas and flyadeal, and has an average of nine daily flights to Dubai International Airport. Despite its massive size, the airport hosts only about 9.7 million passengers annually, ranking as the third busiest airport in Saudi Arabia.
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Denver International Airport is the second-biggest airport worldwide
Denver International Airport (DEN), located in Denver, Colorado, is the second-biggest airport worldwide. Covering 34,000 acres of land, it occupies one-third of Denver and is larger than the city boundaries of Boston, Miami, or San Francisco. The airport is 25 miles driving distance northeast of Downtown Denver and opened in 1995.
Denver International Airport is known for its iconic white tent-shaped roof, designed to represent the beauty of the Rocky Mountains. The roof is approximately 240,000 square feet and is held up by 34 masts, large enough to cover more than four football fields. The airport features an elaborate system of underground trains connecting the main terminal to various gate areas.
Denver has traditionally been home to one of the busier airports in the United States due to its central location, ideal for an airline hub. Several airlines, including United Airlines and Continental Airlines, previously had hubs at the former Stapleton International Airport, making it the sixth-busiest airport in the country by the 1960s. However, Stapleton lacked room for expansion and had closely spaced runways, leading to delays and disruptions in bad weather.
Denver International Airport is more than just a transportation hub; it also boasts a unique collection of art. The airport features four murals by Chicano artist Leo Tanguma, titled "Children of the World Dream of Peace," which depict the horrors of war and humanity's desire for peace. Additionally, an animated, talking gargoyle was unveiled in 2019, interacting and joking with passengers about the airport's supposed conspiracies.
In terms of size, Denver International Airport is surpassed only by King Fahd International Airport in Dammam, Saudi Arabia, which covers nearly 300 square miles. However, despite its massive size, King Fahd International Airport hosts only about 9.7 million passengers annually, placing it outside the top 100 in terms of traffic. Denver International Airport, on the other hand, served 60 million passengers annually before the COVID-19 pandemic and welcomed a record-breaking 82.4 million passengers in 2024.
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Beijing Daxing International Airport has the largest terminal
The Beijing Daxing International Airport, also known as Beijing New Airport, is the airport featuring the largest terminal in the world. The airport, which is one of two international airports serving Beijing, China, covers an expanse of 2,679 hectares (6,620 acres) and has four civilian runways and one military runway.
The terminal building, designed by renowned architect Zaha Hadid, is spread over 700,000 square meters (7,500,000 square feet) and is considered a work of art. It boasts a unique "starfish" shape with five "tentacles" (concourses) that aids some inter-airline connections for passengers with international destinations. The innovative design means passengers never have to walk more than 10 minutes (1,970 feet) from the core to the furthest gate in each wing. The terminal is also filled with natural light, creating a pleasant and relaxing travel experience.
The airport is located in the Daxing District, along the border of Beijing and Hebei Province, and is about an hour away from the Beijing Capital International Airport. It is easily accessible via various means of transportation, including the Daxing Airport Express of the Beijing Subway, two underground railway stations, three metro stations, and a highway system.
Beijing Daxing International Airport officially opened on September 25, 2019, with a capacity to handle 75 million passengers by 2025. The construction cost was initially estimated at 70 billion RMB (US$11 billion) and included a ground transportation hub with links to high-speed rail, metro, expressways, and bus routes. The airport is projected to become the busiest in the world by 2040.
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Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport is one of the biggest and busiest
Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL) is one of the world's biggest and busiest airports. It is located in Atlanta, Georgia, and is named after former Atlanta mayors William B. Hartsfield and Maynard Jackson. The airport covers a vast area of 4,700 acres, or 7.3 square miles, and features five parallel runways, with the longest one measuring 12,390 feet in length, capable of handling large aircraft like the Airbus A380.
Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport has been a long-time leader in passenger traffic, holding the top position for over 20 consecutive years since 1998. The airport typically attracts more than 110 million passengers annually, with a daily average of just over 1,000 flights to 225 domestic and international destinations. This high volume of traffic is due in part to its convenient location, as Atlanta is no more than a two-hour flight from over 80% of the US population. The city's reputation as a hub for business and tourism also contributes to the airport's popularity.
The airport's infrastructure is impressive, with its iconic control tower standing at a height of 398 feet, making it the tallest in the United States. The complex was designed by renowned firms, including Stevens & Wilkinson and Smith Hinchman & Grylls, and has undergone multiple expansion projects to accommodate growing passenger demand. One notable expansion was the Development Program: "Focus On the Future," initiated in 1999, which aimed to prepare the airport for a projected demand of 121 million passengers in 2015.
Hartsfield-Jackson also serves as the corporate headquarters and primary hub of Delta Air Lines, housing their Technical Operations Center. It is considered the first mega-hub in America and is renowned for its efficient operations, accommodating various aircraft sizes and offering international service to multiple continents. The airport's accessibility and extensive flight network have solidified its position as one of the world's leading aviation hubs, catering to both leisure and business travellers alike.
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Dallas Fort Worth International Airport is the biggest in Texas
Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) is the biggest airport in Texas. It is located between Dallas and Fort Worth, and it serves the North Texas region. The airport covers 17,000 acres of land, making it the fifth-largest airport in the world by size. It is also one of the busiest airports in the world, with an annual passenger count of around 39 million and a capacity of 73 million.
The history of DFW Airport dates back to the 1960s when Fort Worth purchased Amon Carter Field, renaming it Greater Southwest International Airport (GSW). However, GSW struggled to compete with Dallas' airport, Love Field, and by the mid-1960s, it was only receiving 1% of Texas air traffic. This led to a joint airport proposal, and in 1966, the cities purchased land for a new regional airport. Construction began in 1969, and the airport was dedicated in September 1973, with operations commencing in January 1974.
DFW Airport has come a long way since its early days. It is now a major economic driver for the region, generating over $37 billion annually and supporting 634,000 jobs. The airport has five terminals and seven runways, accommodating a large volume of aircraft and passenger traffic. It is renowned for its focus on passenger satisfaction, offering a range of services and amenities to meet the needs of both leisure and business travellers.
DFW Airport has also been recognised for its commitment to sustainability and has been named the best large airport in North America for customer service by Airports Council International (ACI) World. The airport continuously strives to improve the customer experience, modernising its facilities and updating its amenities. Additionally, DFW Airport is the first carbon-neutral airport in North America and the largest in the world to achieve this status.
In conclusion, Dallas Fort Worth International Airport is not just the biggest airport in Texas but also a significant economic hub and a leader in sustainability and customer service. With its extensive facilities, high passenger traffic, and dedication to innovation, DFW Airport continues to play a crucial role in connecting Texas to the world.
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Frequently asked questions
The biggest airport in the world by area is King Fahd International Airport in Saudi Arabia. The airport covers nearly 300 square miles, which is almost the same size as the country of Bahrain.
The second-biggest airport in the world is Denver International Airport in the United States. It covers 53 square miles, which is more than double the size of the next largest US airport, Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport.
The largest airport terminal in the world by area is Beijing Daxing International Airport in China. The terminal covers an area of 7.5 million square feet, which is roughly the same as 97 football fields.
