Top 10 Largest Airports in the World

With the increase in the population, there is a demand for the flight which has resulted in more new airports in the continents.  A report states that more than 4 billion people travel by plane each year and with such huge demands, airports are one of the busiest places in the world. Whether you are going on a vacation or you are going for a trip, the airport is the only place from where the story begins.

More new airports are developing and expanding, so their design and facilities are. At the airport, you can not only catch your flight but you can also visit a designer brand shop, eat at restaurants, buy perfumes, and many more. Some of the airports in the world even have swimming pools and aquariums.

Ever you ever think off, which is the biggest airport in the world? Well, that’s a big question and today we are going to analyze this question from different perspectives and different angles, such as largest by area and busiest airport in the world as per passenger traffic.

In order to give you an idea of the world’s biggest airport, we have shortlisted the top 10 airports of the world according to size and the top 10 airports of the world according to the number of passengers they see each year. The largest airport in the World

1. King Fahd International Airport, Saudi Arabia


 Located in Saudi Arabia, King Fahd International Airport is the largest airport in the world which has a surface area of around 300 sq. miles. This airport is located in the city of Dammam of Saudi Arabia and it is spread over more than 192,000 acres. Though this airport is the largest in the world still it is not the busiest airport in the world. KFIA was used by US Airforce as an airbase during the Gulf war. It was the year 1999 when commercial operations started from this airport and it has the capability to handle around 12 million passengers a year. Currently, this airport is the major hub of Saudi Airlines and Flynas, with more than 35 airlines operating in and out of the airport.
A more interesting fact about this airport is that the KFIA airport is almost the same size as New York. It is a six-storeyed building with the main terminal spread over an area of 3,52,000 sq. ft area.

Interesting Fact

  • The airport derive its name from Fahd ibn Abdulaziz, who was the former king of Saudi Arabia
  • This airport has a separate royal terminal which is spread over an area of 177,000. This exclusive terminal can only be used by the royal family, VIPs, top government officials, and foreign diplomats.
  • This is the first airport in Saudi which open duty-free stores.
  • KFIA also has a residential building that can accommodate more than 3000 people.
  • The airport also has a mosque on its campus which can accommodate more than 2,000 worshippers.

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2. Denver International Airport


Denver is the biggest airport in the U.S.A. and also the second-biggest airport in the world. Spread over an area of 52.4 sq miles, Denver Airport is located at a distance of 36 km from the city center. This airport saw annual traffic of around 60 million passengers prior to the pandemic and this number decrease dramatically in 2020 which was 33 million. This footfall has made this airport the eighth busiest airport in the world. Also, this airport serves as the main hub of Frontier Airlines, United Airlines, and Southwest Airlines. Denver Airport is the fourth US airport that operates flights for more than 200 destinations. Currently, this airport is working on two expansion project, which is the Great hall and the gate expansion projects which will further improve the existing terminals. This new expansion will upgrade the airport gates’ capacity. DIA has three terminals and 146 gates.

Interesting Fact

  • Though Denver is among the biggest airport in the world, it still Denver owns the various conspiracy theories which surround it. One major fact is that there is a conspiracy theory that state the New World order control this airport.
  • DIA has the longest runway in North America.
  • There is a 32-foot-tall blur mustang statue that is believed to be haunted.
  • This airport is constructed in a burial ground. (another conspiracy theory)
  • It has four onsite parking which spread over 30 acres.

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3. Dallas International Airport


Spread over an area of more than 27 sq. miles, Dallas Airport is the third largest in the list. DIA is larger than Manhattan Island in size. This airport is located between the city of Dallas and Fort Worth and this airport is the largest and main hub of American airlines. Flight is operated to more than 270 destinations and to 44 countries from Dallas International Airport.  This airport saw the footfalls of more than 39 million passengers which made it the fourth busiest airport in the world.
Dallas International airport has five terminals and 184 terminals. A new expansion project worth $139 million is being implemented and airport officials are also planning to add nine more gates to terminals A to C and they are renovating Terminal C.

Interesting Fact

  • Dallas Airport is among the fourth busiest airport in the world when it comes to aircraft movement.
  • In May 1989, the Atlantis space shuttle landed at this airport.
  • It is among the first commercial airports where a space shuttle landed.

4.Orlando International Airport


Located around six miles from Downtown Orlando, Orlando airport is the fourth biggest airport in the world. This airport is spread over an area of 21sq miles and is also the third-largest airport in the United State. More than flights are operated from this airport by 44 airlines and this airport is a pivotal gateway for the mid-Florida region. Nearly 135 domestic and international flights took to take off from this airport. This airport has 2 terminals and a total of 129 gates. Orlando International Airport acts as the main hub operation center for Silver Airways and it also serves as the main base for Jet blues and Spirit Airlines. Passenger traffic is increasing considerably at this airport in the last few years.

Interesting Fact

  • This airport has a code name MCO which is derived from its former name McCoy Air Force Base
  • Walt Disney Resort is just 20 miles away from this airport.

5. Washington Dulles International Airport


Also known by the name Dulles Airport, Washington airport is fifth on the list of the largest airport in the world. IAD is spread over an area of 20.3 sq. miles. This airport is located at a distance of 26 miles from Washington DC. It is also the main hub of the Baltimore-Washington metropolitan area. Washington airport witness more than 60,000 footfall on a daily basis and also provide to and fro flight services to more than 120 destinations in the world. United Airlines also has its main hub at this airport. Lufthansa and Turkish airlines are the major airlines that operate from this airport. This airport has 1 terminal and 139 gates.

Interesting Fact

  • This airport is the first airport in the United State which is designed to accommodate commercial jets.
  • This airport exhibits many arts and photography; you can also get a chance to watch live music and dance performance which occur here occasionally.
  • This airport derived its name from John Foster Dulles who was United States Secretary of State from 1953-59

6. Beijing International Airport


In the list of the largest airports in the world, Beijing International Airport is sixth in the list. This airport is located on the border of Langfang and Beijing city. Also nicknamed as Starfish, this airport is spread over an area of 18sq miles. Beijing has 2 international airports and this one is the 2nd international airport, first is obviously the Capital International airport of Beijing, which is located at distance 29 miles from Tiananmen Square and 40 miles from Beijing International airport. BIA is the main hub of SkyTeam airlines.

Interesting Fact

  • This airport is spread in an area that is equivalent to 130 football stadiums.
  • China is expecting that this airport will become the busiest airport in the world by 2040 with the help of Starfish architecture.

7. George Bush International Airport


Located in Houston city of US, George Bush International Airport is in seventh place on the list of the Largest airports in the world. This airport is spread over an area of 15.6 sq. miles. George Bush airport is the second busiest airport in Texas and it is located at a distance of 23 miles from Downtown Houston. IAH saw a footfall of 18 million passengers in the year 2020. It includes Five terminals from A to E and it has 161 gates. All the terminals are connected with each other by Subway and Skyway. This airport is the main hub of United Airlines and Atlas Air. IAH also serves as the largest passenger hub for United Airlines and around 40 million passengers used this airport terminal annually before the COVID pandemic. Originally this airport was named Houston International Airport and later this airport was renamed George H.W. Bush airport who was the 41st president of the USA in 1997.

Interesting Fact

  • This airport host weekday live concerts of jazz, classical and international music
  • A yoga studio is also established at Terminal A for passengers.

8. Shanghai Pudong International Airport


Spread over an area of 15.4 sq. miles, Shanghai Pudong Airport is positioned eighth in the list of the largest airport in the world. This airport is situated at a distance of 19 miles from Shanghai city. Pudong airport is the main hub and major airport in East Asia. Pudong airport act as main hub for China Eastern Airlines and Shanghai Airlines. Air China and China Southern Airlines have also their main hub at this airport.

Pudong airport is the busiest international air hub in China. This airport saw a footfall of 30 million passengers every year and it is also on the list of the 14th busiest airport in the world. This airport has a total of two terminals and a new terminal is opened in the year 2021. Shanghai airport authority is trying to increase the capacity of this airport from 60 million to 80 million. Also, this airport is home to the world’s biggest satellite terminal.

9. Cairo International Airport


Cairo Airport is spread over an area of 14sq. miles and it is number 9 on the list of the largest airport in the world. Located in Egypt, Cairo Airport is at a distance of 9 miles from the city of Cairo. This airport is the main hub of EgyptAir and Nile Air. Cairo International airport has 3 terminals and a separate seasonal flight terminal which is on the west side of terminal 3. This airport is the second busiest airport in Africa Tambo International Airport of South Africa. All the 3 terminals are connected by shuttle bus and mini metro.

Interesting Fact

  • Cairo International airport is not only one of the biggest airports in the world but also the second-busiest airport in South Africa
  • This airport was used by the US as an Airforce base during WW2.

10. Suvarnabhumi International Airport


Commonly known as Bangkok Airport, Suvarnabhumi is among the two airports which serve Bangkok. This airport is spread over an area of 12.5 sq. miles and it is one of the biggest airports in Southeast Asia. Suvarnabhumi act as an aviation hub for the southeast region. It also acts as the main for several airlines such as Thai Airway, Thai Smile Airways, and Thai Vietjet Air. Bangkok airport also acts as a regional gateway and a transfer point for flights that connect Asia, Europe, and Africa. Also, this country is one of the hottest tourist destinations.
Suvarnabhumi witnesses a footfall of more than 60 million passengers every year. But after the pandemic, this airport is still the busiest airport in the world with approx. 16 million passengers used this airport in the year 2020.  

Interesting Fact

  • This airport covers an area of six million sq. feet.
  • Bangkok airport has more than 350 check-in counters, more than 100 elevators, 20+ conveyors belt, and 26 customs control desks.