The largest airports in the world on the map. The largest airport in Europe. Tokyo International Airport

Even within the same continent, a long land road can take a lot of energy and nerves from passengers, so more and more people prefer to travel by long distance by plane. Sometimes there are situations when the aircraft is delayed and then the only thing left for passengers is to wait for their flight within the walls of the terminal. At this stage, it is easiest to assess the comfort of a person’s stay at the airport, the opportunity to relax, have a bite to eat and contact relatives. A truly comfortable airport is characterized by a good location, excellent service and the ability to fly to anywhere in the world. Such features are characteristic of a large and convenient airport terminal, in our rating we invite you to familiarize yourself with the top 10 most big airports Europe.

Barcelona International Airport El Prat, Spain

The volume of passenger traffic per year is 39.7 million people. The airport has international status and is the largest transport hub in all of Catalonia. Location air harbor- ten kilometers southwest of Barcelona. Until 2012, the most popular route was from El Prat to Madrid-Barajas Airport, but the high-speed railway between the two cities has significantly reduced passenger traffic in this direction. Since 2009, an additional terminal has been opened in the terminal building, with an area of ​​5.5 thousand m2. The number of runways is three (one concrete, two asphalt), their length varies from 2540 m to 3352 m. The sky pier is central for airlines such as Iberia Airlines, Spanair and Air Europa, passenger and cargo flights are accepted around the clock. It is easier to get to the airport in the following ways: by car, by rail, by subway or bus.

The German statistical company Jacdec has compiled its authoritative ranking of the most safe airlines in the world in 2018. The authors of this list...

Gatwick Airport, UK

The volume of passenger traffic per year - 40.3 million people. The name "Gatwick" is first mentioned in the 13th century and is translated from English. language as "goat farm". "Gatwick Airport" belongs to the category of civilians, and is considered the second largest airport located in the capital of Great Britain. Gatwick is also the busiest of all airports with only one runway. The location of the air harbor is West Sussex, Crawley, just 5 km north of the central part of the city, 46 km from London and 40 km from Brighton. It receives and sends flights to two hundred destinations, about 265 thousand landings and takeoffs are made a year. Serves charter companies that are not allowed to land at Heathrow. Over the past 30 years, flights between the US and the UK have been considered the most important routes, due to the existence of a special agreement between the two states. For companies such as Virgin Atlantic, EasyJet and British Airways Airport is basic.

Fiumicino Airport, Rome, Italy

The volume of passenger traffic per year - 40.5 million people. The airport is named after Leonardo da Vinci and is the largest air hub in the country. Located 30 km southwest of the capital of Italy, operates around the clock, has four asphalt runways. You can get to the airport via the expressway or the Leonardo Express. The opening took place in 1961, before that most of air routes was heading to Ciampino. In total, there are five ultra-modern terminals on the territory of Fiumicino, which receive flights from such airlines as Air France, Alitalia, KLM, Blue Air, Aeroflot, Ukraine International Airlines, Air Canada, EgyptAir and others. During the operation of the airport, two terrorist attacks were committed here, in 1973 and 1985 (46 people died, 108 were injured) and one plane crash - in 1988 (26 passengers and the entire crew died).

The Trans-Siberian Railway or the Great Siberian Way, which connects the Russian capital Moscow with Vladivostok, until recently bore an honorary title with ...

Munich Airport, Germany

The volume of passenger traffic per year is 41 million people. international Airport bears the name of Franz Josef Strauss, who was the prime minister of the state of Bavaria, has three 4 km runways (concrete), one helicopter, and is civilian in type. Location - Erding and Freising districts, Erdinger Moos area. The construction of the terminal began after another airport, München-Riem, could no longer cope with passenger traffic. The air harbor opened its doors in May 1992 and today is the second in the country in terms of the number of travelers transported. For the famous airline "Lufthansa" Flughafen München "Franz Josef Strauß" is the base. The area of ​​the airport is 15.5 km2, flights are accepted and depart around the clock. The building has two terminals: the first is marked with the letters A, B, C, D and E and is capable of receiving 25 million people a year. Most frequent departures from Munich Airport are made to the UK, France, Spain, the Netherlands and Turkey.

Madrid Barajas Airport, Spain

The volume of passenger traffic per year - 46.8 million people. The airport is named after Adolfo Suarez, who was the first prime minister after the country was proclaimed a democracy. The air hub is located 14 km from the center of Madrid, which can be reached by metro, train or bus. The terminal building is equipped with four terminals, one of which has an area of ​​more than 760 thousand km2. Bright green buses, designated T1, T2, T3 and T4, circulate between the terminals. The air harbor has four asphalt runways, the length of which is from 3,620 m to 4,470 m. For Iberia Airlines, Barajas is central. Aeropuerto Adolfo Suárez, Madrid-Barajas also hosts such giants as Aeroflot, Air Europa, Aeroméxico, US Airways, Air France, United Airlines, American Airlines, Emirates, Ukraine International Airlines and Lufthansa. In 2008, a plane crashed at the airport en route to the Canary Islands. During an unsuccessful landing, 154 people out of 172 on board were killed.

Most people want to get a window seat on an airplane so they can enjoy the views below, including takeoff and d...

Amsterdam Airport Schiphol, Netherlands

The volume of passenger traffic per year - 58.3 million people. Schiphol is the country's main airport and is located 17 km and a 20-minute drive from the Dutch capital. Schiphol was opened in 1916 English language the name of the air harbor sounds like Amsterdam Airport Schiphol. In terms of the number of passengers carried, the airport is the fifth in Europe, in terms of cargo transportation - the third, after Paris and the Frankfurt am Main air hub. Schiphol has five runways for large aviation and one for the little one. A proposal for the construction of the seventh runway has been submitted to the airport reconstruction project. The entire terminal building is one large terminal, which is divided into several huge waiting rooms and passes. For such airlines as Delta Air Lines, Transavia, Martinair and KLM, the airport is the base. Sky Pier Amsterdam has won more than 120 prizes in its history and has been named the best airport in the world 7 times.

Frankfurt am Main Airport, Germany

The volume of passenger traffic per year is 61 million people, the second name of the airport is Rhine-Main. It is considered the largest in Germany and ranks fourth in Europe in terms of the number of people transported, and first in terms of cargo transportation. Flughafen Frankfurt am Main was the first facility of its kind to automatically sort luggage. To date, the air hub has four runways, one asphalt and three concrete runways, the length of the runways is from 2800 to 4000 meters. The terminal building has two terminals for ordinary passengers and one terminal superior comfort for VIPs and those who fly in business class. From one terminal to another, there is a high-speed monorail, a shuttle bus, which is free to travel. You can get to the city by taxi (the cost of the service is about 40 euros), by electric train or bus. The airport is a hub for airlines such as Lufthansa Cargo, Lufthansa CityLine, Lufthansa, Condor and AeroLogic.

Modern professional sports are fun for the rich. For some types, only high-quality uniforms and shoes are enough, but for others, besides this...

Ataturk International Airport, Turkey

The volume of passenger traffic per year - 61.3 million people. İstanbul Atatürk Havalimanı is located 24 kilometers from the center of Istanbul, on the coast Sea of ​​Marmara, opening date - 1912. In 1980, the airport was named after the first president of the Republic of Turkey - Mustafa Kemal Atturk. In terms of the number of passengers served, the air hub ranks third in Europe, but in the near future it is planned to begin construction of new air gates, after which Ataturk Airport is planned to be closed. The owner of the air facility is the Turkish company TAV Airports, which over 20 years has invested more than $600 million in the infrastructure of the airport. For the airline Turkish Airlines, which has the status of a national airport, Ataturk Airport is the main and hub. Nearby is another heavenly harbor, named after Sabiha Gochken.

Airport Paris - Charles de Gaulle

The volume of passenger traffic per year - 65.8 million people. The second name of the airport "Roissy - Charles de Gaulle", it is located 25 km from French capital. The opening date of the air hub is March 8, 1974, today Aéroport de Paris-Charles-de-Gaulle annually receives and sends 450 thousand flights. In terms of passenger traffic, the Paris airport is 2nd in Europe and 8th in the world, in terms of cargo traffic - 2nd in Europe and 12th in the world. air gate are considered native and main for the national airlines Air France, where its headquarters is located. It also hosts the hub of other major airlines - XL Airways France, FedEx Express and Delta Air Lines and low-cost carriers Vueling and easyJet. The managing and operating company is Aéroports de Paris. The easiest way to get from the airport to Paris is by rail, the cost of such a trip is 10 euros, other options are a bus or car. Near the airport there are 30 hotels of various categories, from five-star to budget.

Natural oils have no less effect than any modern cosmetics. At the moment, even the latest chemical developments cannot ...

Heathrow Airport, London, UK

The volume of passenger traffic per year - 75 million people. The airport began its activity in 1929 and today is the second busiest in the world, accompanying about 480 thousand takeoffs and landings a year. The air hub is located 24 km from the British capital, includes five terminals for passengers and one for cargo, serves 90 airlines, is a hub for Virgin Atlantic Airways, british airways. Amazing Fact: the location of the runway strictly from west to east makes it necessary for aircraft to take off and land directly over London. Another nuance - London Heathrow Airport famous for constant fogs and low location NUM - only 25 meters. There are only two runways, both are asphalt, the length of the first is 3902 m, the second is 3660 m. During the period of work at the airport, 5 crashed aircraft, the total number of victims was 213 people.

A long road takes a lot of energy, so people are increasingly turning to the services of airlines. Often, a passenger is faced with a situation where his plane is delayed. And then the airline representatives must provide the client with food, a lounge and other amenities so that he can comfortably wait for his flight. A good airport has a good location, convenient service and flies to various countries. The above parameters are inherent in large air companies. Which of them are on this list and where is the largest airport in the world located?

The largest air hubs

Air transport is an integral part of international passenger traffic. Traveling long distances comes with certain challenges. For example, how to organize a comfortable and fast flight without violating the plan and schedule of the route? To save themselves from numerous problems, people increasingly prefer large air companies that have proven themselves well. In 2011, the International Association of Airports presented a ranking of the largest air hubs:

1. Hartsfield-Jackson- an international class terminal located in (USA). The air company is considered the largest Delta Connection hub in the world. It ranks first in terms of the number of passenger traffic, takeoffs and landings. Hartsfield-Jackson is included in the "Largest Airport in the World" list.
2. O'Hare- the largest air hub in Illinois; is located in northwestern region Chicago. Today, the air company has 2 cargo areas and 4 terminals that serve passengers.
3. Heathrow- London's largest. In Europe, it occupies a leading position in terms of the number of passenger traffic. The air company has 5 passenger and 1 cargo terminals.
4. Haneda- Japanese airport, leading in Asia in terms of the number of passenger traffic. In an international air company, customers are served by 3 terminals. Particular attention is paid to people with handicapped: special lifts are built in the building for them.
5. Los Angeles International Airport included in the honorary list of "The largest airports in the world." It is equipped with 4 takeoff/landing lanes and 9 passenger service terminals. The building has an unusual shape and spectacular lighting.

The largest airport in the world

Large air companies represent a whole city where tens of thousands of people are involved. Passenger load is one of the main criteria by which their work is evaluated. Most international air hubs are equipped with everything necessary to serve maximum amount clients. But the 1st place in the category "The largest airport in the world" belongs to the airline Al Maktoum. It is located in Dubai (UAE). Their airport does have giant size. At first it was used for cargo transportation, but in 2011 it was granted a certificate for servicing general air travel, which included and Passenger Transportation.

The Al Maktoum project was valued at $33 billion. It is 14 million tons of cargo and 160 million passengers annually. The airport control tower rises to 92 meters. The air company has 6 runways that can receive the latest liners. The territory of the airport includes a shopping center, 3 luxury hotels, beautiful two-story villas, 24-story buildings with luxury apartments.

The largest Russian airports

Moscow airport leads in the number of passenger traffic in Russia Domodedovo. The air company was founded in 1962 and has been ranked 1st in the ranking for many years " Major airports Russia". Today Domodedovo hosts external and domestic flights from 72 various airlines; from the terminal there are flights to the countries of Europe, America, Asia. The largest airports in Russia also include:

• Sheremetyevo- the largest international company in terms of the number of flights abroad. More than 14 million passengers depart from the airport every year.
• Vnukovo- refers to the five main airports in Moscow. It has a good location and occupies a leading position in terms of passenger traffic.
• Ekaterinburg- an international airport with more than 30 flights Russian airlines. It ranks 5th in terms of passenger traffic.

The largest airports in Europe

the largest European airport recognized Heathrow serving over 70 million passengers every year. The air company is based in London. The "Largest Airports in Europe" rating is also headed by:

• Charles de Gaulle- located in Paris; serves over 61 million customers a year.
• frankfurt- more than 57 million people pass through the company every year.
• Schiphol- located in Amsterdam (Netherlands); serves more than 51 million customers annually.
• Barajas(Spain, Madrid) - more than 45 million passengers pass through the company every year.

Major US airports

There are many air companies in the United States. The most famous of them are the largest employers and bring significant income to the home cities. The largest air terminals are air hubs, which serve more than 10 million passengers every year.

Major US airports:

• Heartfield-Jackson(Atlanta): serves over 95 million passengers a year.
• O'Hare(Chicago) - passes more than 67 million people annually.
• International airport in Los Angeles- Serves about 64 million customers a year.
• Dallas/Fort Worth- annually passes more than 58 million people.
• John F. Kennedy in New York - serves over 49 million passengers a year.

Turkey to build world's largest airport

On Black Sea coast Istanbul, work has begun on the creation of a unique project: Istanbul Grand Airport. This is a new airport terminal that will connect the Republic of Turkey and nearest countries. The airport will have 6 landing sites, which will allow to receive up to 150 million people annually. The building will have a unique design and charisma to become a worthy decoration of the ancient and majestic Istanbul. Specialists from Great Britain and Norway are working on the new project. The area of ​​all halls and premises will be about one million square meters. According to experts, Istanbul Grand Airport should take a leading position in the ranking « The largest airport in the world ».

What progress has come, it used to take days, and sometimes weeks, to get to your beloved grandmother; Now same account goes on hours and minutes. And all thanks to the aircraft and the developed network of aviation communications. Air travel V last years began to gain popularity, and the annual passenger flow at some airports reaches tens of millions of people. This ranking presents the 10 largest airports in terms of the number of passengers carried.

1 place. Hutsfield-Jackson Airport, Atlanta. USA

Atlanta Airport is located just 11 km from the city, and it serves the largest number of flights in the world.
A significant part of the transportation is carried out within the country, since in America it is often much cheaper to get to your destination by air than by land.

The annual passenger traffic of Hutsfield - Jackson is 90 million people.

2nd place. O'Hare Airport, Chicago. USA

The airport is located 27 km northwest of Chicago, and until 2005. he occupied a leading position in the number of takeoffs and landings.

Currently, 80 million people pass through the airport every year.

3rd place. Heathrow Airport, London

The world famous Heathrow is the busiest airport in Europe. And this is despite the fact that it is not located very well, at an altitude of only 25 meters above sea level, which is why take-off landing strips often disappear in the famous London fog.

70 million passengers annually use the services of this airport.

4th place. Haneda International Airport, Tokyo. Japan

Tokyo Airport (second name - Haneda) is recognized as the largest in terms of the number of passenger traffic in Asia.

It was created for domestic flights, but in recent years the number of international flights has increased dramatically.
Today, the airport serves a little less than 70 million people.

5th place. Los Angeles International Airport. USA

Los Angeles International Airport is the most big airport city ​​of angels.

It has 9 terminals through which 60 million people pass annually.

6th place. Dallas International Airport. USA

The second name of the airport is Fort Worth, as it is located in the middle between the two cities.

It is considered the largest airport in Texas, and serves 60 million people a year.

7th place. Charles de Gaulle International Airport, Paris. France

It is considered the most convenient docking station in Europe. Two railway stations, connecting the airport with any city in France.

The annual passenger traffic is 60 million people.

8th place. Frankfurt am Main Airport. Germany

Frankfurt Airport is also called Rhine-Main, and is the largest in Germany, serving 52 million people a year.

It is distinguished by the fact that in addition to two large terminals, it also has one - a small one, for VIP.

9th place. Hong Kong International Airport. China

The Chinese themselves call this airport Chek Lap Kok. It is located 34 km. from Hong Kong, and its services are used by 48 million people annually.

Repeatedly received the title best airport in the world.

10th place. Denver International Airport. USA

Denver Airport is the largest in terms of area in the United States (140 km2), and the second in the world, after the airport in Dubai.

However, in terms of passenger traffic, it ranks only 10th, serving 47 million people a year.

Who would have thought a hundred years ago that air transport become one of the most popular in the world? Everything today more passengers prefer to travel by plane, because it is convenient, and most importantly - fast way movement. Sometimes this is the only way to communicate between distant countries and hard-to-reach regions.

Due to the growing popularity of air travel, the world's largest airports resemble an anthill, where millions of people converge and disperse. As a result, the passenger turnover in the largest such transport hubs is tens of millions of people. It is easy to get lost in such airports. So which of them are really the largest?

Denver International Airport, USA, 47 million people. This airport is the largest in terms of area in all of the United States, spread over 142 square kilometers. According to this indicator, it is second only to a node in Dubai. However, despite the scale of the structure, its passenger turnover is only tenth in the world with an indicator of 47 million people a year. The airport occupies the most large area in the USA (142 sq. km), and is the second largest in the world, after the airport in Dubai. However, despite its scale, Denver Airport occupies only 10th place in terms of passenger traffic. The massive transport hub was commissioned in 1995 at a cost of $4.7 billion. From afar, the airport looks like rocky snow-capped mountain peaks, which has turned it into a local landmark. The Americans initially included in the project the possibility of future expansion of the airport. Its runways look like some kind of whirlwinds that surround the passenger terminals and are directed in different directions. This allows you to reduce the queue of aircraft waiting to take off. The unusual design of the airport even gave rise to several conspiracy theories, and the construction process itself gave a lot of food for thought. For example, four paintings by the painter Leo Tangum hang in the main terminal of the airport. These works should symbolize the struggle of man against genocide. Here are just some of the details of the paintings: three dead girls lying in coffins, a dead leopard, a huge soldier in a gas mask can still unpleasantly surprise travelers. Fans of finding secrets in everything argue that these paintings are allusions to the transformation of the earth, the establishment of a one world government and a new world order.

Hong Kong International Airport, China, 48 million people. This airport is located at a distance of 34 kilometers from Hong Kong. The Chinese themselves call the transport hub Chek Lap Kok after the name of the artificial island on which the airport is built. In addition, this name avoids confusion - after all, there is also the old Hong Kong International Airport. Planes began to take off from the island in 1998, and all the work cost the authorities $ 20 billion. Today, many consider Hong Kong International Airport to be the most comfortable in the world. Passenger terminals were designed as friendly as possible to people, the layout is simple, there are clear signs everywhere. The presence of three shuttle stations makes it quick and easy to move around the huge building. These facilities allow passengers to get from the check-in hall to the exit to the departure area and back. Shuttles move at a speed of 62 km / h. At the same time, this type of transport inside the airport is free for passengers.

Frankfurt am Main Airport, Germany, 52 million people. Germany's largest airport is the third largest in Europe and the eighth largest in the world. Distinctive feature of this node is that there are not only two main huge terminals (by the way, they are connected by a corridor with a moving lane and bus service), but also a special terminal for VIPs. Frankfurt Airport is central to the national German carrier Lufthansa. This is one of the first places where the automatic baggage sorting system began to function. The airport has four runways and serves 65,000 people.

Charles de Gaulle International Airport, France, 60 million people. This airport is the most convenient transfer point in Europe. Right on its territory, two railway stations were built, from where you can get to any city in the country. The airport got its name in honor of Charles de Gaulle, the leader of the French Liberation during World War II and the founder of the Fifth Republic. And the hub is located 25 kilometers northeast of Paris, just within a few communes. There are three terminals in total. The oldest is Terminal 1, Terminal 2 was originally intended to receive domestic flights from Air France, but today it also accepts passengers from other companies. And the third terminal is designed to serve charter flights and low-cost airlines. Interestingly, the airport is built on grassy lands. They are famous for their many rabbits and hares, which even airplane passengers can observe at certain times of the day. Airport workers are forced to periodically go hunting in order to prevent the population from growing to a critical level.

Dallas International Airport, USA, 60 million people. This airport is the largest in Texas. Its second name is Fort Worth, since it is essentially not in Dallas, but between itself and the city of Fort Worth. In total, the airport has four terminals and seven runways, which serve about a dozen national air carriers and several dozen international ones. Those airlines that operate in Dallas give you the opportunity to choose any of the 135 domestic and 40 international destinations. Interestingly, Dallas and Fort Wells did not agree to the construction of a joint airport for a long time. Both cities had their own hubs, developing them in every possible way. Only thanks to the order of the federal authorities in 1969, the construction of an equidistant airport began. He took the first flights on January 13, 1974, the entire construction cost $ 700 million. At that time it was the most expensive and largest airport in the world. Although today it is considered one of the best cargo airports, the main emphasis is still placed on passenger transportation - in terms of cargo turnover, the airport is only 27th in the world.

Los Angeles International Airport, USA, 60 million people. The international airport has an interesting feature - its nine passenger terminals are arranged in the form of the letters "U", having received the nickname "horseshoes" for this. And special buses and shuttles deliver passengers to the terminals. The airport has four runways. Flights depart from here within North America. latin america, Europe, Asia, the Middle East and Oceania. The airport is the main hub for United Airlines.

Haneda International Airport, Japan, 70 million people. This airport is the largest in Asia in terms of the number of passengers carried. Initially, it was created exclusively for domestic flights, but in Lately more and more volume is taken under itself international flights. This was the reason for such a sharp increase. The airport building itself has three levels. The lower one is the usual structure, the second one is round tower with metal frame and glass walls. And the top of the structure is made in the form of a flat disk. From afar, it resembles a wide-brimmed hat. Serves passengers here three terminals. Interestingly, the main Japanese hub pays special attention to passengers with disabilities. So, for example, for the disabled, there are special lifts at the steps, escalators, as well as chairs near the check-in points. There are also quite large play areas for children, places for shopping. The thoughtfulness of the structure is manifested even in the existence of separate zones in the toilets for mothers with babies.

Heathrow Airport, England, 70 million people. This airport is considered the busiest in Europe. It is located west of London, and its runways are oriented from west to east. This means that planes take off directly over the capital of England. Another feature of the airport is that it is located quite low in relation to sea level, only at a height of 25 meters. But since the weather is often foggy in London, the runways are simply lost from the pilots' field of vision. In total, about 90 airlines operate in Heathrow, which connect the city with 170 nodes around the world. The airport has a fairly developed infrastructure. In the arrivals halls, tourists can spend time in the lounges, and priests of various religions work in the prayer areas. Heathrow has restaurants and cafes, saunas and hairdressers, World Shopping stores. It should be noted that the airport has a good transport links with London. In just 15-20 minutes, with the help of an express train, passengers get to the metropolis. The London Underground line also connects to all terminals, regular buses and, of course, licensed taxis run from here.

O'Hare Airport, Chicago, USA, 80 million people. More recently, this airport was the leader in the number of takeoffs and landings, but now it has lost its palm. The reason for this was the restrictions of the federal authorities, who tried so hard to reduce flight delays. Today, every sixth canceled flight in the country takes place here. In Chicago, 4 terminals and 9 halls have been built, which provide 186 exits to aircraft. The authorities plan to build several more terminals and a whole similar complex in the western part of the airport. This location would need to be connected to I-90 or Elgin O'Hare by road, but the runways would need to be reconfigured first. The airport was built in the suburbs of Chicago in 1942-1943, specifically for the plant that produces the Douglas. And although the industrial facility moved after the end of the war, the city authorities decided to develop the airport. Moreover, by the early 1950s, it became clear that Chicago International Airport had ceased to cope with its functions. Since 1955, O'Hara has taken the first commercial flights, and in 1958 an international terminal was built. The peak loading of the airport was observed in 1994 - a thousand flights a day.

Hartsfield-Jackson Airport, Atlanta, USA, 92 million people. This node is located just 11 kilometers from the city. The Atlanta airport is the busiest in the world. True, the bulk of its flights are domestic, because in America it is sometimes cheaper to get by plane than by land transport. From here, airlines operate flights to 260 destinations, including 83 destinations in 54 countries. This is one of the few airports where simultaneous triple landings are possible. Yes, and the area of ​​​​its airport is one of the most-most, with an indicator of 5.8 million square feet. It is second only to Hong Kong and Bangkok. This hub is the main hub for Delta AirTrain airlines. And the history of the airport began in 1925, when a lease agreement for the former abandoned autodrome was signed. The city chose a plot of 116 hectares to create an airport here. The first flight here was carried out by a mail plane already in 1926, and since 1928 they began to fly to Atlanta and passenger aircraft. The airport has been constantly improving and now has a $9 billion program to increase passenger traffic to 120 million by 2015. There are six runways in total, and the giant transport hub serves 55,000 people.

A refugee from Iran, Mehran Karimi Nasseri, was forced to live at the Paris Charles de Gaulle airport for 18 years - he could not help flying, not leaving because of stolen documents. You wouldn't wish this on an enemy either, but Mehran survived, and not only because he had nowhere to go: De Gaulle is a whole city that has everything a person needs. ELLE has compiled the top 7 largest airports in the world.

Saudi Arabia

What is the largest airport in the world? And what is common between Latvian capital Riga and King Fahd Airport (KFIA), which is located on the outskirts of the Saudi city of Dammam? The fact that KFIA is twice as big as Riga. In terms of size, of course. Until 2000, 780 square kilometers of the airport were used for military purposes, and for the last 15 years they have served civil aviation. KFIA, the world's largest airport by area, boasts six levels of terminals, including the Royal Terminal, whose name speaks for itself - it serves the royal family. There are two runways, located in parallel at a distance of two kilometers, its own mosque, which can accommodate two thousand people (!). Airport parking lots are designed for, scary to say, four thousand cars. But the most surprising thing is that KFIA does not develop its gigantic resource - given its scale, the airport's workload leaves much to be desired. And all because it is inconveniently located. The situation is gradually changing for the better, passenger traffic is growing, but all the same, “King Fahd” is not working at full strength.

The largest airport in the United States by area is the last one built in this country today. He is only twenty years old, but he is already overgrown with legends. This is due to a very unusual appearance and design of Denver International Airport. Firstly, its terminal is completely covered with white tents. It looks original, but very strange.

Secondly, the symbol of DIA is a creepy-looking horse, or rather, a sculpture of a blue horse rearing up. The animal's eyes glow around the clock, and the history of its creation chills the blood. The famous master Luis Jimenez worked on the statue, installed at the end of the 2000s. The work took him as long as thirteen years, and it also ruined him - the sculptor was killed by the fallen torso of a horse. The statue was brought to mind by his children.

And that's not it. Symbols and signs are scattered throughout the airport, which cause increased nervousness in citizens prone to conspiracy theories and mysticism. On the walls you can see giant murals depicting women of different skin colors, a creepy monster in a Nazi military uniform, and stuff like that. There is also a strange-looking slab with incomprehensible inscriptions. It is not surprising that in the legend of located under the DIA underground city, intended for the world's elites, stubbornly believe thousands of people.

The area of ​​​​the territory is not the most important thing for the airport. Whether business congestion. In this sense, the undisputed leader, oddly enough, is based not in some major world capital, but in American city Atlanta. Hartsfield-Jackson passes 90 million passengers annually, overtaking such popular airports as London Heathrow (70 million) and Charles de Gaulle (60 million people in total). Hartsfield-Jackson is not well known because it serves mainly domestic flights, primarily between northern and southern states countries. 250,000 passengers daily, 100 planes every hour, something incredible. The airport employs 55,000 - can you imagine, fifty-five thousand! - Human. And as far as size goes, Hartsfield-Jackson is fine too. 2,000 hectares are ten parks in Sochi. Or the whole area of ​​the center of Atlanta, which, by the way, is not so Small town. If you still can not imagine, then another analogy. The size of only the service areas of the airport - shops, cafes, exchange offices and other things - equal to three Luzhniki stadiums. Not bad, really.

Shoudu is the largest airport in China (and Asia, respectively) and the owner of the world "silver" - in the sense that it is second only to its competitor in Atlanta in the US in terms of workload.

80 million people fly in and out here and there. Over the 60 years of its existence, the Shoudah has already been reconstructed three times, last time, as you might guess, for the Olympics in Beijing, 7 years ago. What you should definitely know about the airport is that the prices in the shops here are basically the same as outside it. Not a cent (yuan) higher. It's nice.

By the way, now in the Chinese capital, the construction of another airport, Daxing, has begun, which promises to become the largest in the world. 130 million passengers will be ready to receive it! Budget - $ 80 billion, architect - Zaha Hadid - in general, by 2020 something grandiose will grow in Beijing.

The Emirates is a real fairy tale in the flesh, and this also applies to the airport. Just half a century ago, Dubai's airport was barely able to handle one plane, and now about 70 million passengers and 30 flights pass through it every hour. Huge territory, four hotels, swimming pools, spas, free baby strollers and electric cars, free showers - is this not a consumer paradise!

Just keep in mind that all passengers must undergo a retinal scan upon arrival. That is the law. And further. dubai airport became the "hero" of a documentary series airing on the National Geographic channel. The third season started this year. Must be a fascinating sight.

Great Britain

If the Shoudou is the most "throughput" in Asia, then Heathrow is the champion on a European scale. However, the most frequent flights from here do not go to Rome, Paris or Berlin at all, but across the ocean - to New York. On the territory of Heathrow, everything is arranged perfectly - a lot of shops, its own chapel, priests of almost all religions of the world. They also think about the smaller brothers here: official cars rolling around the airport are equipped with speakers that reproduce recordings of bird calls. To scare away the birds - God forbid they get into the turbine of some liner.

Despite a long history, British gloss and excellent service for those who are waiting, Heathrow managed to get the title of the worst in the world a few years ago due to regular flight delays.

De Gaulle, located in the northeastern suburbs of the French capital, strikes with its scale - its area is 3.2 hectares. For comparison, Dubai Airport is spread over an area of ​​2.9 hectares. In terms of traffic, the airport is on a par with the hubs in Los Angeles and Tokyo - 60 million passengers annually. De Gaulle is very fond of rabbits, rock stars and filmmakers. Eared roam the fields of the airport, attracted by the grass, from where they are constantly chased by staff. As for rockers and filmmakers, it was at this airport that U2 filmed the video clip for the famous Beautiful Day, and director Brett Ratner is part of the scenes for his film Rush Hour. However, the cultural potential of De Gaulle is exhausted by these facts: over the past ten years, loud scandals have taken place here five times with the exposure of group thefts of luggage, in which a total of 80 loaders were involved. Here's France. All this, however, did not prevent Mehran Karimi Nasseri, a refugee from Iran, from living in De Gaulle for 18 years, as his documents were stolen. This story formed the basis of Steven Spielberg's movie The Terminal.