Airports are the places between places, and most people have been inside one at least once in their lives. Depending on where you live and where you’re going, most airports are relatively small and uninteresting, with a few terminals, restaurants, convenience stores, and clothing shops. However, there are airports that are so large they almost feel like cities, with lavish decor, unique features, and more. Let’s take a look at some of the largest and busiest airports in the world.
Incheon
The Incheon International Airport is also called the Seoul-Incheon International Airport. It is South Korea’s busiest airport and the 23rd-busiest airport on the planet. About 47.7 million flyers made their way through the airport in 2014.
Istanbul Airport is the city’s, as well as Turkey’s, new ultramodern aviation center. The airport opened with limited service in 2018. A year later, full operations were moved from Istanbul Ataturk Airport. The main passenger terminal is one of the world’s largest indoor structures.
The second-busiest airport in California and the busiest airport in the San Francisco Bay Area, San Francisco International Airport can be found about 13 miles south of downtown.
As the primary airport of the country, about 54.1 million passengers passed through the Singapore Changi Airport in 2014. It serves as a hub for Singapore Airlines, Jetstar Asia Airways, And Tigerair, and more than 100 carriers in total operate from the airport.
The Chicago O’Hare International Airport is the world’s busiest airport when measured by landings and takeoffs. It serves northeastern Illinois, as well as nearby communities in Indiana and Wisconsin. The airport is a hub for United Airlines and American Airlines and is also a focus city for Spirit Airlines and Frontier Airlines.
The Dubai International Airport saw about 71.7 million passengers pass through its terminals in 2014, which made it the sixth-busiest airport of that year. It is a hub-airport for Flydubai, Emirates, and Qantas, and a total of around 140 airlines fly to over 270 destinations around the world.
Leonardo da Vinci-Fiumicino Airport handled 38.6 million passengers in 2014 as the busiest airport in Italy. FCO is a hub for Vueling and Alitalia. It is a focus city for Blue Panorama, Alitalia CityLiner, EasyJet, Mistral Air, Ryanair, and Neos. In addition, 90 carriers operate from this airport.
The George Bush Intercontinental Airport is one of two major airports that serve the greater Houston metropolitan area and is the United States’ 10th-busiest airport.
In 2014, around 63.1 million passengers moved through the Hong Kong International Airport, making it the 10th-busiest airport in the world and the fourth-busiest airport in Asia. It is a hub for Cathay Pacific, Air Hong Kong, Hong Kong Airlines, Dragonair, and Hong Kong Express Ways and serves as a focus city for China Eastern Airlines, China Airlines, and Air India.
More than 100 carriers fly between HKG and around 180 cities internationally. Passengers traveling to mainland China can choose between mainland coaches, ferry transfers, and limousines.
The Orlando International Airport is one of two commercial airports that serve the Orlando Metropolitan area. It is Florida’s second-busiest airport, having served 34.8 million passengers in 2013.
Over 35 commercial carriers fly between MCO and destinations in North America, South America, Europe, and the Middle East. Some amenities that flyers can enjoy include stores, ATMs, restaurants, currency exchanges, spas, a business center, and even a shoeshine stand.
The Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport served nearly 96.2 million travelers in 2014. It was also the busiest airport on the planet from 1998 until 2019. The airport is a Delta Air Lines hub and a focus city for Southwest Airlines.
All in all, around 15 airlines fly between Hartsfield-Jackson each day and over 150 US and 75 international destinations in 50 countries. Amenities in this airport include currency exchanges, ATMs, retail stores, restaurants, smoking lounges, shoe shines, and more.
The star-shaped Beijing Capital International Airport is the primary commercial airport serving Beijing and is located about 20 miles northeast of downtown. The airport, which is a hub for China Southern Airlines, Air China, and Hainan Airlines, saw more than 86.1 million passengers pass through its terminals in 2014.
This makes it Asia’s busiest airport and the second-busiest airport on the planet. Beijing Capital International Airport is connected to the city through the Beijing Subway. Other ground transportation options include limousines and taxis.
The busiest airport in the United Kingdom, the London Heathrow Airport, handled 73.4 million passengers in 2014. It is the third busiest airport in the world when measured by passenger traffic. Plus, it is one of six international airports in its region.
Over 90 airlines fly to and from LHR, including Virgin Atlantic, which uses Heathrow as its primary base of operations, and British Airways, which uses the airport as a hub. In total, the airport sends and receives passengers from over 170 destinations in North and South America, Europe, Asia, Africa, and Oceania
The Los Angeles International Airport is the busiest of the five major airports that serve the Los Angeles metropolitan area and it served around 70.6 million passengers in 2014.
The airport is a hub for Delta Air Lines, American Airlines, Alaska Airlines, Horizon Air, Great Lakes Airlines, and more, and serves as a focus city for international airlines like Air New Zealand and Allegiant Air. There are more than 150 non-stop flight destinations between LAX and the Americas, Asia, Africa, Europe, and Oceana.
The Paris-Charles de Gaulle Airport also called the Roissy Airport, is France’s largest international airport and the 10th-busiest international airport globally. It is a hub for Delta Air Lines, Air France, and XL Airways France and is also a focus city for Europe Airpost and EasyJet.
More than 62 million travelers passed through CDG’s terminals in 2013, traveling to destinations between Asia, Europe, Africa, and the Americas. The airport is known for its restaurants, free WiFi, and children’s play areas
The ninth-busiest airport in the world and the second-busiest in Texas, the Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport, in 2014, saw more than 63.5 million passengers. It is an American Airlines hub, with the headquarters being nearby, and is a focus city for Sun Country Airlines and Spirit Airlines.
More than 25 carriers fly between DFW and a total of over 200 international destinations. Some of the most notable passenger amenities include an onsite hotel, art exhibits, and restaurants.
Frankfurt Airport is the busiest airport in Germany and is the third-busiest airport in Europe. It is located about eight miles southwest of the city center. It serves as a hub for Lufthansa, Condor, and Lufthansa CityLine. In 2014, around 59.6 passengers moved through its terminals.
Of its three passenger terminals, one is the Lufthansa First Class Terminal – here passengers are driven to their aircraft in a chauffeured vehicle from their terminal. Some of the airport’s amenities include smoking lounges, leisure zones, bathrooms with showers, a visitor’s terrace, and more.
The Denver International Airport is the United States’ fifth-busiest airport. It had around 54.5 million travelers in 2014. The airport is a hub for Great Lakes Airlines, Frontier Airlines, and United Airlines and is a focus city for Southwest Airlines.
There are more than 15 airlines operating from the airport, flying between DEN and 170 destinations, with 20 of those being international destinations in nine countries. The airport includes fast food and sit-down restaurants, charging stations, and an interfaith chapel.
The airport serves as a hub for airlines such as Lion Air, Garuda Indonesia, and Indonesia AirAsia… And you can see why! Just look at the size of it! It reminds us of some fancy resort from the outside, minus the airplanes – do you agree?
Amsterdam Airport Schiphol is the fifth-busiest airport in Europe and is the primary international airport for the Netherlands. The airport saw more than 52.5 million passengers in 2013, and more than 105 commercial carriers fly to and from the airport, including Corendon Dutch Airlines, Delta Air Lines, and Arke.
Passengers are able to fly nonstop between AMS and about 300 destinations from around the world. Passenger amenities include meeting rooms, ATMs, and even an airport library.
The Tokyo International Airport, which is one of two international airports that serve the Tokyo metropolitan area, is found nine miles south of Tokyo Station. It is also known as Haneda Airport.
The Adolfo Suárez Madrid-Barajas Airport (quite a mouthful), is the main airport for Madrid and it served over 41.8 million passengers in 2014. This makes it the busiest airport in Spain and Europe’s sixth-busiest airport.
It is an Air Europe and Iberia hub and serves as a focus city for Norwegian Air Shuttle, Iberia Express, Vueling, and Ryanair. There are non-stop flights available to European destinations, as well as several destinations from around the world. One of the airport’s most noticeable amenities is its chapels.
Suvarnabhumi Airport, also known as the New Bangkok International Airport, is one of two international airports that serve the capital city of Thailand. In 2014, the airport saw more than 38.1 million passengers. This makes it the busiest airport in the country and the 16th-busiest airport around the globe.
It is a hub for Bangkok Airways, Asia Atlantic Airlines, Jet Asia Airways, Orient Thai Airlines, and Thai Airways International. There are non-stop flights available between BKK and several international destinations.
The sixth-busiest airport in the US and North America’s busiest when measured by international passenger traffic, the John F. Kennedy International Airport, can be found about 12 miles southeast from downtown Manhattan. It is one of three major airports that serve the New York metropolitan area.
Over 90 airlines operate from at the airport, flying nonstop to destinations within North America, as well as other international points. The airport has interesting transportation methods, and there is even a helicopter service to downtown Manhattan.
The McCarran International Airport, which is found five miles south of downtown Las Vegas, is the world’s eighth-busiest airport in terms of aircraft movements and is the 24th busiest when measured by passenger traffic.
The airport is a focus city for Spirit Airlines, Allegiant Air, and Southwest Airlines. There are several art pieces on display for passengers to view during their time at the airport, which also happens to be home to the Howard W. Cannon Aviation Museum.
The Shanghai Pudong International Airport is the third-busiest airport in China and is the city’s primary international airport. In 2014, PVG saw about 51.7 million passengers travel through its gates.
The airport is a hub for a number of different airlines, including China Eastern Airlines, Air China, Shanghai Airlines, Spring Airlines, and Juneyao Airlines. PVG is known for its grown transportation options, which include the Shanghai Maglev Train, the Shanghai Metro Line 2, taxis, buses, and shared-ride shuttles.
The Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport is one of the 10 busiest airports in the United States and served over 41.1 million passengers in 2014. The airport is a hub for US Airways and Great Lakes Airlines and also serves as a focus city for Southwest Airlines and Frontier Airlines.
Some of the amenities that passengers can enjoy include a museum, charging stations, free WiFi, retail stores, sit-down and fast-food restaurants, ATMs, and more.
The Charlotte Douglas International Airport is the busiest airport in the United States without non-stop service to Asia and is the largest hub for US Airways. In 2014, the airport saw around 44.3 million passengers pass through its gates.
Some other major carriers that operate at the airport include American Airlines, Air Canada Express, Frontier Airlines, and Delta Airlines. At CLT, passengers can enjoy bars, restaurants, coffee shops, charging stations, retail stores, and a USO center.
The Miami International Airport is found eight miles northwest of downtown Miami and is a major gateway to Latin America. When measured by passenger traffic, it is the 11th-busiest airport in the United States. In 2014, 40.9 million travelers passed through the airport.
MIA also acts as a hub for American Airlines and a focus city for Frontier Airlines and Avianca. There are a number of ground transportation options available to passengers flying to and from MIA, including Metrorail and Metrobus, taxis, Tri-Rail, limousines, free hotel shuttles, and shared-ride shuttles.
Munich Airport, which serves as Bavaria’s capital city, is the second-busiest airport in Germany and the seventh busiest airport in Europe. It is a hub for Condor, Air Dolomiti, Lufthansa, and Lufthansa CityLine and is also a focus city for Air Berlin.
Over 39.7 passengers traveled via MUC in 2014. Some of the most popular passenger amenities at the airport include retail stores, restaurants, luggage storage, currency exchanges, ATMs, Wifi, internet kiosks, and lounges for passengers to relax in.
Kuala Lumpur International Airport is Malaysia’s main international airport and can be found 28 miles from downtown. Over 48.9 million passengers used the airport in 2014, which makes it the 20th-busiest airport in the world. There are 70 commercial carriers that operate at KUL, including Malaysia Airlines and AirAsia.
Passengers can enjoy non-stop flights to destinations around the world, and the airport boasts three passenger terminals, namely the Main Terminal Building, the Satellite Terminal Building A, and Klia2.
The Sydney (Kingsford Smith) Airport is the busiest airport in Australia and is found five miles south of Australia’s largest city, Sydney. It serves as a Qantas, Jetstar Airways, Virgin Australia, and Regional Express Airlines hub.
In 2014, around 38.6 million flyers passed through the airport. Passengers can fly non-stop from SYD to other local airports and a number of international destinations.
The Indira Gandhi International Airport is the busiest airport in India and serves the Delhi metropolitan area. In 2014, it saw around 40 million passengers. A total of about 60 carriers fly to DEL. It is also a hub for the airlines’ Air India, AirAsia India, GoAir, IndiGo, Jet Airways, SpiceJet, and Vistara.
Some of the airport’s most noticeable amenities are its luggage wrapping services, retail stores, ATMs, currency exchanges, showers, spas, airport lounges, and free WiFi.
The Seattle-Tacoma International Airport is the largest airport in the Pacific Northwest. The airport is a hub for Delta Air Lines, Alaska Airlines, and Horizons Air, and more than 20 carriers fly to the airport in total.
Seattle-Tacoma’s parking garage happens to be the largest parking structure under one roof. It contains both short-term and long-term parking which allows you to conveniently store your vehicle. Passengers can fly nonstop between the airport and other airports around the globe, including Europe, Asia, and the Middle East.