Airport hotels blog

Airports are often the setting for strange stories and fascinating facts – but are they just urban legends or is there evidence to back them up?  We’ve investigated some of the most famous tales to find out if they’re true or false.

A man lived at a Paris airport for 18 years

It may sound like the plot of a movie, but it is absolutely true.  A man lived at Charles de Gaulle Airport from 1988 until 2006.  Merhan Karimi Nasseri was expelled from Iran in 1977 for his political views.  This left him without a passport and he travelled across Europe, attempting to claim asylum.  Finally he was granted refugee status and was allowed to travel to England.  This was in 1988 and he got as far as Paris, but his documents were stolen with his briefcase in the train station.  He boarded the plane to London anyway, but was sent back to Charles de Gaulle Airport.  He was initially arrested, but because he had no documents, there was no country to return him to. 

 He ended up in a legal limbo, unable to leave Terminal 1.  Court battles ensued over many years, whilst the staff of the airport all got to know him and his regular sitting place.  They even received letters for him.  He lived on the generosity of staff and visitors who would give him clothes, meal vouchers and money for food.  In 1999, he was finally given an international travel card and a French residency permit which would allow him to leave the airport, settle in France, or fly to any other country that would accept him.  But after 11 years of living in the airport he seemed to be too scared to leave.  In the end, he only exited the building when he was hospitalised in 2006.  Afterwards, he was placed in a homeless shelter.  His story has inspired many books and movies including “The Terminal” starring Tom Hanks.

STATUS: True

An 83 year old grandmother beat up 6 airport security guards

Security in our airports has been tightened in recent years, and this has led to delays and frustration for many passengers.  With tensions heightened all round, we’ve heard many tales about rude, unreasonable and overzealous security staff.  However, a rumour began to surface in 2002 of an elderly woman who had fought back against unfair treatment.  A rough and overweight guard refused to let the woman on board unless she submitted to a search. 

The 83 year old responded by running him down with her motorized wheelchair, before dealing out a series of blows to other guards who tried to apprehend her.  One was hit with an oxygen bottle, one was stabbed with a knitting needle, one was set on fire with a cigarette lighter and another was punched in the face.  It’s easy to see why this story about a ninja nana appealed, but it is not true.  It was a fictional piece written by a man called Bob Wallace and posted on his website, before it was picked up and passed around by email, posing as a real anecdote.

STATUS: False

Denver Airport is a secret UFO landing strip, underground military base or civilian detainment camp

There are a lot of rumours around about strange goings-on at Denver Airport.  Suspicions were raised right from the beginning.  It was built in 1995, despite the fact that Denver already had an airport.  The new complex had fewer gates and runways, but much more space.  It was alleged to be an unsuitable location for an airport because of wind and terrain troubles, but apparently the new facility HAD to be built and HAD to be built in that position.  Why, and why did they need so much space?  It’s said that contractors were repeatedly fired during the construction, apparently so that none of them could get the “Big Picture”. 

Supposedly, the airport has 8 sub-basements, and includes several buildings and a runway which were buried because they were “built wrong”. It also has several barren, fenced off areas with barbed wire along the top – facing inwards.  Once the airport was complete, disturbing murals were painted on the walls, including African and Native American women lying dead in coffins, along with a blonde girl holding a Bible and a Star of David.  Some say that they are Masonic symbols, Nazi propaganda or that they that hold secret messages about world domination.  All very odd.  But the conspiracy theorists argue about what it all means, so for now you’ll just have to make up your own minds.

STATUS: Not proven

Elvis landed at Prestwick Airport

Many Elvis fans will tell you he never visited the UK, but others claim he made a fleeting stop off at Prestwick Airport.  The truth is that it did happen and this was the King’s only visit to our shores.  He changed planes at the airport on his way home from doing military service in Germany, in March 1960.  Sergeant Elvis was met by hoards of screaming teenagers.  He posed for pictures and signed autographs before asking, “Where am I?” 

 He spent some time at the local NCO club and Teenage Club where they played his hit “Heartbreak Hotel”.  The embarrassed superstar called for them to, “Turn it off!”  On returning to the plane he said that he liked the idea of Scotland and he would visit the country again on a forthcoming European tour.  But the tour never took place and Elvis would never return to the UK.  

STATUS: True

Secret flights took Bin Laden’s family out of the US after 9/11

It is claimed by some that members of Osama bin Laden’s family and other Saudi Nationals were flown out of the US immediately after 9/11.  This was said to have happened while a ban on air travel was in force, and before the FBI could question them.  After the terror attacks, all flights were grounded and the ban stayed in place until 13 September. 

During that time, only the military and specially authorised flights carrying medical supplies were allowed in the air.  The 9/11 Commission established that there was no truth to the allegation of secret flights.  All planes carrying Saudi nationals were accounted for, and they only took to the air after the ban was lifted.  The passengers were all screened by the FBI and interviewed before departure.

STATUS: False

Picture Credits

1 - Saint Martin under GNU Free Documentation License

2 – Tofu Photography

3 – Izakovic

4 – Rockmine

5 – Michael D Brown under Creative Commons

We’d like to hear from you!

Have you heard any strange airport stories that you’d like us to check out?  Got any other evidence to add to the cases we’ve looked at?  Please leave your comments below.

King Fahd International Airport

This vast airport is spread over 301 square miles of land in Damman, Saudi Arabia.  That is an area bigger than many cities – in fact, 3 times the size of Edinburgh – and even bigger than some countries, including the neighbouring Bahrain.  In comparison, Heathrow Airport covers less than 5 square miles.  Despite its vast size, King Fahd Airport only has the capacity to handle 7 million passengers a year, and actually receives many less.  Heathrow, on the other hand, has nearly 68 million travellers passing through each year.

King Khaled International Airport

At 87 square miles, this is another huge airport in Saudi Arabia.  It is just outside Riyadh and is actually the main gateway to the country, seeing up to 14 million passengers a year.  It has one of the world’s tallest air traffic control towers at 265 ft and the terminal buildings contain a mosque that can hold 5000 worshippers.  The airport is also an emergency landing site for NASA’s space shuttle.

Al Maktoum International Airport

When Dubai’s new airport is finished, it will be the third biggest in the world in terms of land mass.  It will cover 54 square miles and receive over 120 million passengers a year.  It is due to open in 2010 and will be capable of handling all the new-generation aircraft like the A380 superjumbo.  This model shows what the finished site will look like.

Denver International Airport

At 53 square miles, Denver Airport just misses out on third place in the size stakes.  It’s still huge – twice the size of Manhattan Island and the largest in the USA.  It has 6 runways and is the 10th busiest in the world in terms of passenger numbers.  Its distinctive fibreglass roof mirrors the peaks and valleys of the surrounding Rocky Mountains.

Beijing International Airport

 
Another way of measuring the largest airport is to look at the size of its terminals.  The world’s largest terminal complex is now at Beijing International Airport, after its development for the 2008 Olympics.  With a floor space of 10 million square feet, the third terminal is also the largest freestanding structure in Asia.  It was designed by Norman Foster, who also built the Gherkin in London and the Millennium Bridge.  The new terminal is nearly 2 miles long and from the air, it is supposed to look like a giant red dragon – the traditional symbol of China.

We’d like to hear from you!

What’s the biggest airport you’ve ever been to?  Is bigger always better?  Please leave your comments below.

Credits

Photo 1 – Leslie E. Robertson Associates, R.L.L.P.

Photo 2 – airport-technology.com

Photo 3 – Imre Solt under GNU Free Documentation License

Photo 4 – Call 2 Web

Photo 5 - Gabriel Lai