With the number of passengers increasing every year, airports are booming. Here are the 10 largest airports in the world.
With increasingly attractive prices, air travel is becoming a more democratic and affordable means of transport. Airports have also followed this trend, making travel easier and saving passengers a considerable amount of time. In fact, some of them are veritable cities… within the city. Luxury stores and duty-free outlets, shopping malls, restaurants, hotels… all offer increasingly sophisticated services where travellers can find what they want, when they want it.
But which are the world’s biggest airports? Find out in this ranking of the world’s 10 largest airports!
1. Atlanta H.-Jackson International Airport, Georgia(USA)
Photo credit: Flickr – Delta News Hub
Some people mistakenly believe that New York’ s JFK International Airport is the largest in the United States. It may be the most emblematic and internationally renowned, but it’s Atlanta H.-Jackson Airport that holds the American and even world record. It’s the world’s largest airport, handling over 100 million passengers to and from the USA every year.
It is not, however, the world’s largest airport in terms of surface area. That title goes to Saudi Arabia’s King Fahd International Airport. With a surface area of 78,000 hectares, it is the largest on the planet.
2. Beijing Capital International Airport(China)
Photo credit: Flickr – David Baron
The world’s second-busiest airport is none other than Beijing Capital Airport in China. Every year, it handles some 96 million passengers to and from China.
However, in terms of size, it is dethroned by Denver International Airport in the USA, which, with a surface area of almost 14,000 hectares, is the second largest.
3. Dubai International Airport(United Arab Emirates)
Photo credit: Flickr – Abhinav Gautam
Ranked third among the world’s 10 largest airports, Dubai handles a staggering 89 million passengers every year.
Here, too, it is only the third largest airport in terms of passenger numbers. In terms of surface area, you have to travel thousands of kilometers to find Dallas/Forth Worth International Airport in the USA, which at 7,800 hectares is the third largest in the world.
4. Tokyo-Haneda International Airport(Japan)
Photo credit: Flickr – Masahiro TAKAGI
Tokyo is home to the world’s fourth-largest airport in terms of passenger flow. This is due to the fact that no less than 86 million travellers pass through the airport every year.
However, it’s China’s Shanghai-Pudong International Airport that holds the distinction of being the fourth-largest airport, with an insolent surface area of 3,350 hectares, almost the size of a village.
5. Los Angeles International Airport(USA)
Photo credit: Flickr – Thomas Hawk
Los Angeles International Airport is the second largest airport in the United States, handling nearly 85 million passengers a year.
In fifth place is Paris-Charles-de-Gaulle international airport, with a surface area of 3,200 hectares.
6. Chicago O’Hare International Airport(USA)
Photo credit: Flickr – InSapphoWeTrust
Chicago is home to the world’s sixth-largest airport in terms of passenger traffic, with over 80 million passengers a year.
However, it falls out of sixth place when it comes to comparing the building’s surface area. Spain’ s Adolfo-Suárez Madrid-Barajas International Airport takes sixth place, with a surface area of 3,050 hectares.
7. London Heathrow International Airport(United Kingdom)
Photo credit: Flickr – A.Davey
Britain is a land of immigration and tourism. So it’s only logical that Her Majesty’s Kingdom should be home to the world’s seventh largest airport. London Heathrow. It handles an average of 79 million passengers every year.
However, in terms of size, Bangkok-Suvarnabhumi International Airport in Thailand, with its 2,800 hectares, is the seventh largest airport in the world.
8. Hong Kong International Airport(China)
Photo credit: Flickr – Avinash Bhat
With almost 73 million passengers a year, Hong Kong International Airport in China is the eighth largest in the world.
However, in terms of size, Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport in the USA is in eighth place.
9. Shanghai – Pudong International Airport(China)
Photo credit: Flickr – sharkhats
Shanghai – Pudong airport handles an annual flow of almost 73 million people. This makes it the ninth largest airport in the world.
However, it doesn’t retain its title when it comes to a comparison based on surface area. Egypt’ s Cairo airport, with a surface area of 2,550 hectares, ranks ninth among the world’s largest airports.
10. Paris-Charles de Gaulle international airport(France)
Photo credit: Flickr – Can Pac Swire
Although it is the world’s fifth-largest airport in terms of surface area, with 3,200 hectares,Paris-Charles de Gaulle International Airport is only tenth when it comes to comparing passenger flows. It handles just 70 million passengers a year.
It is, after all, the largest airport in France and even in Europe. Its runner-up is none other than Spain’s Adolfo-Suárez airport in Madrid-Barajas.