Do you think that getting lost in an airport is a problem? Try to get lost in the busiest airports in the world. Check out the 15 largest airports in the world based on your area. Take note of these airports for future reference, especially if you love to travel. Amsterdam Airport Schiphol is the main international airport of the Netherlands. It is the third busiest airport in Europe in terms of passenger traffic, with more than 63 million passengers in 2016. It is characterized by having a single large terminal divided into three departure lounges. Located southwest of Amsterdam, Amsterdam Airport Schiphol was originally a military base when it opened in 1916. Destroyed in World War II, it was quickly rebuilt and finally recognized as the main airport of the Netherlands in 1949. The airport covers 2,787 hectares of land and includes six lanes with paved surfaces. Dubai International Airport is the main international airport in Dubai and is regularly ranked as one of the busiest airports in the world. In the list of the world's busiest airports, it ranks third in terms of passenger volume, but first in terms of international passenger traffic. In 2016, the airport served more than 83 million passengers. Dubai International Airport contributes more than US$26 billion to the Dubai economy. Analysts say that number would rise to almost $90 billion by 2030. The airport covers 2,900 hectares of land and includes two runways and three terminals. Leonardo da Vinci International Airport is one of the largest international airports in Italy. It is located in Fiumicino, Rome and is often simply called Fiumicino Airport. With more than 41 million passengers served, the airport ranked 10th in the list of the busiest airports in Europe in 2016. Apparently named for the great Leonardo da Vinci, the international airport serves as a base for Alitalia and Vueling. It includes four paved lanes and covers around 2,900 hectares of land, much of which is tied to Dubai International Airport on our list of the world's busiest airports. Adolfo Suárez Madrid-Barajas Airport is the second busiest international airport in Europe, only behind Charles de Gaulle Airport in Paris. Opened in 1928, the airport is located in Madrid, Spain, approximately 13 kilometers from Madrid's Plaza Mayor.15. Amsterdam Airport Schiphol
14. Dubai International Airport
13. Leonardo da Vinci International Airport
12. Flughafen Adolfo Suárez Madrid-Barajas
Adolfo Suárez Madrid-Barajas Airport, which serves as a base for Iberia Airlines, is the sixth busiest international airport in Europe with 50 million passengers in 2016. It surpassed Barcelona's El Prat Airport by some six million. Named after former Spanish Prime Minister Adolfo Suárez, the international airport has four runways spread over 3,050 hectares of land.
11. Chicago O'Hare International Airport
Chicago O'Hare International Airport is one of the two main international airports in Chicago, Illinois; the other is Midway International Airport. Based on passenger volume in 2016, it is the sixth busiest airport in the world.
In 2014, it surpassed the famed Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport for most takeoffs and landings, and a year later it won the title. The airport is 17 miles northwest of the Chicago Loop, or central business district. It has eight lanes of asphalt and concrete and covers 3,087 hectares of land.
10. Salt Lake City International Airport
Salt Lake City International Airport may not be one of the busiest international airports in the world, handling "only" 23 million passengers in 2016. But in terms of area, it is definitely one of the largest in the world. The airport covers approximately 3,116 hectares of land.
Located 4 miles from downtown Salt Lake City, the international airport has three paved runways, one paved runway, and three paved heliports. It also serves as a military airport as the Utah Air National Guard occupies Roland R. Wright Air National Guard Base, located on the east side of the airport.
9. Flughafen Paris-Charles de Gaulle
Named after former French President Charles de Gaulle, Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport is the largest and most important international airport in France. It is the main hub for Air France, one of the largest European airlines. The airport covers around 3,200 hectares of land and has three terminals and four paved runways.
In 2016, Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport ranked second on the list of Europe's busiest airports, behind only London Heathrow Airport. Almost 66 million passengers were handled last year, which is almost identical to the number of passengers the airport handled in 2015. In international passenger traffic, the airport ranked fifth in 2016.
8. Suvarnabhumi Airport
Suvarnabhumi Airport, commonly known as Bangkok International Airport, is one of the largest international airports in Southeast Asia. In fact, the airport is only one of two international airports in Southeast Asia to make it on this list. It serves as the main hub for several well-known Asian airlines, including Bangkok Airways and Jet Asia Airways.
With an area of 3,240 hectares, Suvarnabhumi Airport is known for having one of the tallest control towers and one of the largest single-building terminals in the world. It is the ninth busiest international airport in Asia, serving almost 56 million passengers in 2016. The name of the airport can be translated as "Golden Land" or "Golden Land".
7. Cairo International Airport
Cairo International Airport is the busiest airport in Egypt and the second busiest airport in Africa. It served as a US base during World War II before being converted to an international airport. Located in Heliopolis, it serves as the main hub for EgyptAir and Nile Air, two of Egypt's largest airlines.
Cairo International Airport is one of the busiest airports in the world, although not among the busiest in terms of international passenger traffic. The airport has three terminals and three paved runways spread over 3,700 hectares of land.
6. Shanghai Pudong International Airport
Located 30 kilometers from downtown Shanghai, Shanghai Pudong International Airport is one of Shanghai's two international airports. It is the main hub for most international flights and serves as a base for China Eastern Airlines and Shanghai Airlines.
Shanghai Pudong International Airport is the fifth busiest international airport in Asia and the ninth busiest in terms of total passenger traffic. In 2016 it served 66 million passengers. In terms of cargo traffic, it ranks third globally, carrying around 3,440,279.70 tons of cargo in 2016. The airport has 4,000 hectares of land and includes two terminals and five concrete runways.
5. Kansas City International Airport
Kansas City International Airport is one of the busiest airports in the United States, although it is far from the busiest in the country. It is located in Kansas City, Missouri and is home to several extra-large aircraft repair facilities.
Built in the 1950s, the Kansas City International Airport covers 4,320 acres and has three terminals, two asphalt runways, and one concrete runway. In 2016, the relatively nondescript international airport handled around 11 million passengers, barely making it one of the busiest in the world. Only one other airport on this list serves fewer passengers than Kansas City International Airport.
4. Washington Dulles International Airport
Named for John Foster Dulles, the 52nd Secretary of State, Washington Dulles International Airport is one of three major airports in the Baltimore-Washington area. It is the largest of the three, but it is the last in terms of passengers carried.
Washington Dulles International Airport handled nearly 22 million passengers in 2016: Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport handled 23.6 million, while Thurgood Marshall International Airport in Baltimore, Washington handled 25 million. The airport occupies approximately 5,200 hectares of land, although not all of it is used for airport facilities. It includes the main terminal, two secondary terminals and four concrete runways with one more on the way (pun obviously intended).
3. Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport
Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport is the second busiest international airport in the United States and the third busiest in the world. It is the 11th busiest international airport in the world in terms of passenger volume, with around 65.6 million passengers in 2016, the highest number ever recorded in the airport's history.
The airport covers 6,963 hectares of land, making it larger than the entire island of Manhattan. It has five operational terminals, with another under development, and seven concrete runways. The airport is so large that it has its own postal code and is home to its own police, fire and rescue services. Due to its overall quality, it is often cited as one of the best airports in the world.
2. Denver International Airport
Denver International Airport is the largest international airport in the United States and is nearly twice the size of Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport. With an impressive area of 13,570 hectares, it dwarfs all the other airports mentioned above on this list.
Denver International Airport is the main hub for Frontier Airlines and Great Lakes Airlines, generates an economy of $26.3 billion, and has six concrete runways. It is one of the busiest in the world with 58 million passengers in 2016, ranking 18th overall in terms of passenger volume. But for comparison, Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, the world's busiest airport, nearly doubled that number in 2016.
1. King Fahd International Airport
King Fahd International Airport is the grandfather of all airports in the world. Located in Dammam, Saudi Arabia, the total area of the property is a staggering 77,600 hectares, making every other airport on this list look like a Lego set by comparison. The airport is bigger than the entire country of Bahrain, which is crazy.
But here's the fun fact: Only 3,675 hectares of that space is used for airport facilities. Yes, only less than 5% of available storage space is used. Talk about wasting space. If we were to stick to the actual size of the airport, it would rank lower on this list.
King Fahd International Airport is the youngest of the airports on this list, having opened just before the turn of the millennium in November 1999. It is also the least frequented in terms of passenger traffic, with just over 10 million passengers a year. . So you could say that the busiest airport in the world is also the least productive.
And that's it for our list of the largest airports in the world. Once again, keep the names of these airports in mind when you travel. You never want to get lost in these airports.