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What is the biggest and busiest airport in the world?

The airport is the common place that all travel lovers have among themselves. So, as a curiosity, see here some of the largest airports in the world in terms of passenger flow and area!

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Find out everything about the largest airport with the most passenger traffic on the planet!

Portões de aeroporto
Discover the biggest airport! Source: AdobeStock.

Even though there are thousands of places in the world to visit, there is one place in common among all travelers: the airport. By the way, do you know the biggest airport in the world? What about the busiest?

After all, are the biggest and busiest airport the same? Well, there are airport buildings that can be larger than entire cities! Still others are true works of art when seen from above.

Pessoas andando em aeroporto

Galeão Airport Guide: see before you travel!

The largest airport in the state of Rio de Janeiro, Galeão is the second largest in Brazil and connects flights from all over the world. Find out everything about this modern airport here!

Furthermore, the most important airports handle more than 100 million people every year! To achieve this, your organizational structure needs to be very well coordinated so that everything goes as planned.

So, do you want to check out where the largest airport in the world is and others on the list? We have prepared exclusive content for you to discover the top 5 in terms of passenger flow and where they are located. See more below!

What is the largest airport by area today?

Although much is said about passenger flow, there are airports with areas as large as an entire city! In fact, did you know that the total area of an airport goes much further than its main building?

Well, in addition to the landing and take-off runways, there are also hangars, auxiliary buildings, and even land reserves. Taking all this into account, the largest airport in the world by area is currently in Saudi Arabia.

We are talking about King Fahd Airport, located between the cities of Qarif and Dammam. With a total area of 78 thousand hectares of land, it operates with 66 airlines from Saudi Arabia alone and 44 foreign companies.

Interior do aeroporto de Viracopos

Viracopos Airport Guide: see before you travel!

Viracopos airport is one of the main air terminals in Brazil and handles more and more passengers. In addition to being recently renovated and offering new services, you can save on flights leaving there!

Just to give you an idea, one hectare is the equivalent of 10 thousand square meters of area. In other words, King Fahd has an area equivalent to New York City, in the United States!

Furthermore, its construction began in the 1990s and was completed a few years later. However, the King Fahd was initially used in the Gulf War. It was only in 1999 that the airport began to operate with commercial traffic.

Even though this is the largest airport in terms of area today, its passenger flow is not the largest. That's because King Fahd only welcomes around 16 million people every year.

What is the biggest airport in terms of passenger movement today?

Aeroporto de Atlanta
After all, which airport has the most traffic? Source: AdobeStock.

While King Fahd Airport has thousands of hectares of area, the largest airport in the world by flow of people is only 1900 hectares in size. We are talking about Hartsfield-Jackson Airport in Atlanta.

Even though it has a much smaller size when compared to the Saudi Arabian giant, its passenger movement has been at the top of the world list for years. In this sense, there are more than 100 million people every year!

Although he lost his position in 2020 due to the pandemic, Atlanta airport returned to reign last year, 2021. In addition to being the hub of one of the main American companies, Delta Airlines, its location also helps.

That's because Atlanta airport is at least 80% within a 2-hour travel distance of the entire population of the United States! In addition, flights to 244 destinations depart from Atlanta around the world, in addition to connections and cargo.

What are the airports with the highest flow of flights in the world after Atlanta? See the top 5!

Entrada aeroporto de Los Angeles
See the other 5 largest airports in the world! Source: AdobeStock.

It is not just the number one airport in terms of passenger movement in the United States. That's right, the country is known for having others on the list of largest in the world. Check out more below.

Dallas Fort Worth

Well, number two on our list, behind Atlanta airport, is located in Dallas, Texas. Although its inauguration took place in 1974, it only began to gain prominence in the movement of travelers in 2019.

In this sense, DFW has 78 thousand square meters of built area, receiving national and international flights, in addition to being one of the main hubs for American Airlines. It currently handles more than 60 million passengers per year!

Denver

Even though it is the largest airport in the world in terms of infrastructure, Denver, or DEN, is in third place on our list in terms of passenger movement. In this sense, more than 58 million people pass through there every year.

Located in the state of Colorado, in the United States, DEN airport has a complete infrastructure with hangars, terminals and 6 runways! In total, there are almost 14 thousand hectares of construction.

Chicago O'Hare

The fourth place on the list already occupied first place between 1963 and 1998. However, after this period, Chicago O'Hare airport, in the United States, was replaced by Atlanta in its position.

Even today, it has a high number of passengers accessing the airport, more than 54 million per year. Founded in 1944, ORD has a history and has already manufactured warplanes for the United States.

Entrada do Aeroporto de Guarulhos

Guarulhos Airport Guide: see before you travel!

Although it is the largest airport in Brazil, Guarulhos Airport is organized and efficient, connecting flights from all over the world. If you have a trip planned from there, see our guide here!

Los Angeles

Although it was once the third largest airport in the world by passenger flow, LAX, Los Angeles airport, today occupies fifth place. In fact, this airport is the main one on the west coast of the United States.

In this sense, it connects several flights from Oceania and Asia, handling around 48 million passengers last year. LAX airport opened in 1930 and is 27 kilometers from downtown Los Angeles.

Charlotte

Finally, sixth place on the list of busiest airports in the world goes to Charlotte airport, in North Carolina, in the United States. In fact, this is one of the main hubs for American Airlines.

Although it has not always been part of the top 10 busiest airports in the world, it has appeared strong over the last 2 years. In this sense, more than 43 million passengers passed through it in 2021.

Furthermore, did you know that Guarulhos airport is the largest in Brazil and also the hub for the airline Latam? In fact, this is one of the best airlines in the country and offers promotional flights all over the world.

So, if you want to plan a peaceful and comfortable trip and still save money, how about checking out Latam's discounted airline tickets? Access our content below and see how to buy and enjoy!

Nome Latam

How to buy airfare on sale at Latam?

Have you ever thought about flying comfortably to destinations inside and outside Brazil and still paying cheap for tickets? This is possible with Latam. Check out how to buy!

About the author  /  Samantha Scorbaioli

Passionate about living new experiences, cultures and always in search of knowledge and new challenges. He has experience in Hospitality and Tourism and has been working in the content production area for some years.

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