In this article, we will take a look at the 26 largest airports in the world by land area. If you want to skip our detailed analysis of the industry outlook and key players, head on over to the 5 Largest Airports in the World.
Airports are much more than just locations to catch a flight. Apart from serving as global transportation hubs for passengers and goods, airports are essential for the economic growth of cities, countries, and regions. According to the Airport Council International-North America, airports are crucial to the economic development of the United States since they sustain 11.5 million jobs and generate an annual economic output of $1.7 trillion.
Airports in the United States have long been vital for international travel, and the nation gets its fair share of air traffic from both domestic and foreign travelers eager to experience the world. Due to constant demand for quicker and simpler travel options, the United States has been developing and innovating its airports since the Jet Age. The country has more than 14,000 airports, including over 5,000 public airports, out of a total of more than 41,700 airports worldwide, according to the Federal Aviation Administration. Moreover, it boasts some of the largest airports in the world by land area, which should come as no surprise given that it is one of the most competitive nations. For instance, Denver International Airport in Colorado, United States, is the third largest airport in the world, with a surface size of 135 square kilometers. Besides, the Airports Council International (ACI) reports that in 2022 it was the third busiest airport in the world in terms of overall passenger traffic. The airport had 69.3 million passengers last year, up 17.8% from 2021.
Global Airport Services Market: An Analysis
The two main income streams for airports are aeronautical and non-aeronautical services. Charges levied against airlines and aircraft operations, such as landing fees, aircraft parking costs, passenger fees, and fuel sales, generate aeronautical income. While duty-free shopping, food and drink, car parking, advertising, and real estate rents generate non-aeronautical income.
An industry analysis report by Fortune Business Insights estimates that the global airport services market was valued at $89.97 billion in 2021. The industry is anticipated to grow from $97.87 billion in 2022 and expand at a compound annual growth rate of 16.8% from 2022 to 2029, reaching a value of $290.23 billion at the conclusion of the predicted period. The market’s expansion is expected to be primarily driven by the development of innovative airport infrastructure and services. Furthermore, the report also predicts that the use of cutting-edge technologies, such as artificial intelligence, for modern-day airport services will accelerate the market's growth. During the projected period, North America is anticipated to dominate the global airport services market.
Among the leading companies operating in the global airport services market are Fraport AG, S.A.S. Services Group, Inc, Air General Inc., and LHR Airports Limited among others.
With operations at 31 airports across four continents, Fraport AG, a German-based airport services provider, has built a solid reputation for itself by offering a variety of operational and managerial solutions based on more than 95 years of aviation experience. The company not only operates some of the best airports in the world, but it also owns and manages Frankfurt Airport, Germany's largest airport with 23 square kilometers of land.
2023 Outlook for the Airline Industry
Encouraged by robust travel demand and an easing in oil prices, the International Air Transport Association (IATA) recently more than doubled its projection for the airline sector’s 2023 profit. In contrast to the prior prediction of $4.7 billion in December 2022, the sector’s net profits are anticipated to reach $9.8 billion in 2023. Meanwhile, revenue is anticipated to increase by 9.7% year over year to $803 billion, surpassing $800 billion for the first time since 2019.
Airlines barely carried 1.8 billion passengers in 2020, at a loss of $76 per traveler. However, IATA expects that 4.35 billion people will fly this year, which is not far off from the 4.54 billion passengers who flew in 2019.
Moreover, according to the 2023 Deloitte Summer Travel Survey, conducted between March 31-April 6, a leisure vacation with paid accommodations will be taken this summer by 50% of Americans, up from 46% the year before. Even though roughly half of non-travelers said they would stay at home due to budgetary concerns, it appears that travelers are adding an average of one trip to their calendar and taking more international flights.
In addition, the survey found that one in five respondents said they were travelling to make up for vacations missed due to the pandemic, suggesting that there is still a substantial pent-up demand for international travel in 2023. Overall, from 14% in 2022 to 22% this year, more Americans plan to travel abroad. The figure indicates a notable improvement for the aviation and airport sector.
Recent data from a few airport operators, like Grupo Aeroportuario del Pacfico, S.A.B. de C.V. (NYSE:PAC) and Grupo Aeroportuario del Centro Norte, S.A.B. de C.V. (NASDAQ:OMAB), also demonstrates that travel demand remained robust this year despite general economic unrest around the world.
For instance, Grupo Aeroportuario del Pacfico, S.A.B. de C.V. (NYSE:PAC) reported that in May 2023, the total number of terminal passengers at the company’s 12 Mexican airports climbed by 10.1%, compared to the same period last year.
Similarly, Grupo Aeroportuario del Centro Norte, S.A.B. de C.V. (NASDAQ:OMAB), a Mexican airport operator, revealed that Q1 2023 passenger traffic grew 29.9%, compared to Q2 2022, reaching 6 million passengers.
With that said, let's explore the world's largest airports by land area in depth.
25 Largest Airports in the World
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Our Methodology
In order to build a list of the 26 largest airports in the world by land area, we carried out an extensive analysis of numerous industry papers, reports, airport websites, journals, and news articles. We determined the largest airports based on the total surface area they covered in square kilometers. The airports have been ranked in ascending order of their surface area based on data from reliable sources such as World Population Review, CAPA - Centre for Aviation, authentic industry reports and individual airport’s website among others.
Rajiv Gandhi International Airport, also known as Hyderabad International Airport, is the largest airport of India by area. Between April 2022 and March 2023, the airport served about 21 million passengers.
Frankfurt Airport, main hub for the German airline, Lufthansa, covers an area of 23 square kilometers of land. The airport handled 48.9 million passengers in 2022, about twice as many as it did in 2021.
Based on 56,798 visitor reviews on Google Reviews, it has a rating of 3.8 out of 5 stars.
Brisbane International Airport, established on its current site in 1988, is the primary international airport serving Brisbane and South East Queensland. More than 400 companies with over 24,000 employees operate on airport property. This figure is projected to rise above 60,000 by 2050.
Amsterdam Airport Schiphol, located 9 kilometers southwest of Amsterdam, is most commonly known as Schiphol. With a total land area of 27.8 square kilometers, it is one of the largest airports in the world.
YEG is positioned 16 miles south southwest of Downtown Edmonton. This airport serves as a hub for scheduled non-stop flights to significant cities in Canada, the United States, Mexico, the Caribbean, Central America, and Europe.
Adolfo Suarez, Madrid-Barajas Airport is the second-largest airport in Europe by physical size behind Paris–Charles de Gaulle Airport. It has a total area of 30.5 square kilometers.
More than 100 international airlines use the airport, which has 5 terminals and 4 runways.
Chicago O'Hare International Airport, located to the North-west of Chicago, opened in 1955 and became a major hub within both Chicago and America itself.
With a total surface area of 31.1 square kilometers, it is among the world's largest airports.
Salt Lake City International Airport, located about 6.4 km west of Downtown Salt Lake City, Utah, serves as a hub for Delta Air Lines, Inc. (NYSE:DAL). In 2021, the airport handled 22.4 million passengers.
Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport, covering 32 square kilometers of land, is Europe's largest airport. It was named after Charles de Gaulle, a former President of France.
In 2022, Paris Charles de Gaulle served 57.5 million passengers, an increase of 119.43% from 2021.
Dubai International Airport, located within the most popular city in the UAE, registered 66 million passengers in 2022. It is one of the largest airports in the world by total land area on our list.
Cairo International Airport, the main aviation hub for EgyptAir, EgyptAir Express and Nile Air, as well as several other airlines, is located in Heliopolis, about 15 km northeast of downtown Cairo. It is the largest airport in Africa, measuring 36.6 square kilometers in total.
Every day, more than 37,000 passengers are transported from the airport by roughly 309 flights to a number of domestic and foreign locations.
Pittsburgh International Airport, first opened in 1952, serves more than 8 million passengers annually on 16 carriers with nonstop service to 68 airports. It is located about 15 km west of downtown Pittsburgh.
Kansas City International Airport, opened in 1972, is a public airport in Kansas City, Missouri. The airport has three runways and a surface size of 43.2 square kilometers.
George Bush Intercontinental Airport, located about 37 km north of Downtown Houston, is still a hotspot for travel despite various other hubs in the state. The airport served 40,977,839 passengers in 2022.
Currently, the airport provides nonstop flights to 62 international and 77 domestic destinations.
Beijing Daxing International Airport, located on the border of Beijing and Langfang, Hebei Province, began operations on September 26, 2019. The starfish-shaped airport's construction cost was roughly $17.47 billion.
Washington Dulles International Airport, opened in 1962 to accommodate the massive influx of passengers within the area of Dulles, Virginia, has 113 airline gates. It is one of the largest airports in the world with a total surface area of 45.2 square kilometers.
Currently, the airport provides nonstop flights to 62 international and 77 domestic destinations.
Orlando International Airport, with two terminals and dozens of gates, is an important hub for travelers. The Florida airport makes an effort to make lengthy delays and layovers enjoyable by providing over 100 eateries, water features, and shops.
Southwest Florida International Airport, certified for operation in May 1983, is more commonly known as Fort Myers Airport. One of the top 50 U.S. airports for passenger volume, it served more than 10.3 million people in 2022.
Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport, built halfway between the major cities of Dallas and Fort Worth, is one of the largest airports in the world by total land area on our list.
According to Airports Council International (ACI), the mega-hub recorded 73.4 million passengers in 2022, making it the second busiest airport in the world.
