Airport hotels blog

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. – http://www.lera.com/

Photo 2 – airport-technology.com

Photo 3 – Imre Solt – http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Dubai_World_Central_Airport_1_Imresolt.jpg

Photo 4 – http://www.call2web.com/

Photo 5 – http://www.gabriellai.com/