The World's Largest Airports: Exploring the True Scale

🌍Airports are some of the largest and busiest places in the world, handling millions of tons of freight and billions of passengers every year.

🛫The growth of airports can be attributed to the advent of jet engines, which enabled faster and more efficient air travel.

🏢Airport terminals have evolved into massive buildings, featuring control towers, multiple runways, hotels, shops, car parks, maintenance hangars, and logistics facilities.

✈️Runway lengths vary, with some airports having exceptionally long runways to accommodate factors like low air density and takeoff speeds.

📈The busiest airports are not necessarily the largest, as factors like passenger traffic and cargo volume determine their rankings.

How do airports determine the size of their terminals?

—The size of an airport terminal is typically driven by the airport's capacity, which is influenced by the number and length of its runways.

Which airport has the longest runway in the world?

—Moscow's Zakovsky International currently holds the record for the longest runway, measuring 5.4 kilometers.

What makes an airport the busiest?

—An airport is considered busy based on factors such as passenger traffic, the number of flights, and cargo volume.

How do airports manage their huge size?

—Airports employ a large staff and utilize various facilities, such as logistics centers, to efficiently manage their operations.

What determines the ranking of the busiest airports?

—The ranking of the busiest airports is determined by factors like passenger traffic, cargo volume, and the number of international flights.

00:01Airports are among the largest and busiest places in the world, handling millions of tons of freight and billions of passengers annually.

01:20Airport terminals have transformed into massive buildings, featuring control towers, multiple runways, hotels, shops, car parks, and logistics facilities.

02:05Some airports have exceptionally long runways, such as the former kamdu bandur airport in China, which had a 5.5-kilometer runway.

02:38Moscow's Zakovsky International currently holds the record for the longest runway, measuring 5.4 kilometers.

03:01Atlanta's Hartsfield-Jackson International was the world's busiest airport in terms of passenger traffic from 1998 until 2019.