I don’t fly much these days. In fact, it has been years since I took a flight. But the airlines aren’t what they used to be. These days, the friendly skies are not so friendly. This is due to many reasons, from rude passengers, really dangerous passengers, flight delays, cancellations, and a whole lot of problematic equipment failures.
But that hasn’t stopped anyone. People are flying more than ever.
Flying from here to there can be tricky even when things are going right. Sometimes, it is almost impossible to make a quick transfer to a connecting flight. I mean, sometimes the next gate feels like it might be in a different county altogether.
That made me think. I was wondering where the world’s largest airports might be.
When we run down the list of the world’s largest airports by area, we see some familiar names. We may also see a few surprises. Again, this list is based on the overall area of the airport.
An airport’s total area does not always correspond with its total passenger traffic. The biggest airport in the world is not necessarily one of the world’s busiest airports.
So. Here they are. The world’s seven largest airports, sorted by total area.
King Fahd International Airport (DMM) — Dammam, Saudi Arabia
Denver International Airport (DEN) — Denver, Colorado
Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) — Dallas, Texas
Orlando International Airport (MCO) — Orlando, Florida
Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD) — Washington, D.C.
Beijing Daxing International Airport (PKX) — Beijing, China
George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH) — Houston, Texas
How about the biggest? The King Fahd International Airport? It is also known as Dammam International Airport. Just for the record, it is named after the former King of Saudi Arabia, Fahd ibn Abdulaziz (1921–2005).
Get this. It is big. Like 299.61 square miles (776 square kilometers) big.
For comparison, King Fahd Airport is approximately the same size as New York City, which itself contains two major airports within its city limits.
Even though it’s the world’s biggest airport, it’s not the busiest airport in Saudi Arabia
And then let’s visit number two. Denver International Airport (DEN) in Denver, Colorado
It is home to the longest public use runway in North America, with a length of 16,000 feet (4,877 meters).
The city of Denver is approximately 155 square miles (401 square kilometers), and one-third of that is the Denver airport. DIA, as it’s known to Coloradans, is located well to the east of central Denver, in an area that was rural farmland.
Suburban sprawl has filled in the space between the city of Denver and its airport. But Denver International Airport’s land mass is already locked in at 53.09 square miles (135.7 square kilometers). That’s pretty darn big. Here is a cool thing. It has an elaborate system of underground trains that connects the main terminal of Denver International Airport to various gate areas. I wonder if they have a Bat Cave, too.
And rounding out the top three is Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport (DFW)in Dallas, Texas. It comes in at 26.88 square miles (69.6 square kilometers), and it has the traffic to support that size. It’s the second-busiest airport in the United States by total passenger traffic.
Of course, Atlanta still has the busiest airport traffic in the world. Busy, busy. Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL)has held the top spot since 1998. In 2024, it processed approximately 108 million passengers. That’s a lot of frequent flyer miles.
So. When traveling, here is one thing to remember.
Wear sensible shoes because you will need them.
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“Once you have tasted flight, you will forever walk the earth with your eyes turned skyward.” — Leonardo da Vinci
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“The desire to fly is an idea handed down to us by our ancestors who… looked enviously on the birds soaring freely through space.” — Wilbur Wright
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“Airplane travel is nature’s way of making you look like your passport photo.” — Al Gore
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“To travel is to take a journey into yourself.” — Danny Kaye
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