Top 10 Largest Airports in the World - List of The Biggest Airports in 2021

The world has grown from around 10,000 to over 40,000 airports, strips, fields or heliports. This is partly because of the popularity of air travel and the lower budget flight availability which has caused an expansion in the number of airports. The 10 busiest airports have remained largely unchanged for the past several years. The following list is based on figures from Airports Council International and displays So, are you ready? Relax and fasten your seatbelts as we present to you the 10 largest airports in the world. At number 10 is Paris-Charles de Gaulle. It has a capacity of 72.2 million passengers. Named for the former French General and President, Charles de Gaulle Airport was completed in 1974. The airport's inaugural flight took place in 1974. Paris-Charles de Gaulle Airport, also known as Troisi Airport, is the largest international airport in France and the second busiest airport in Europe after Heathrow Airport in London. The airport is named after Charles de Gaulle, a French statesman and general who played a strong role in the establishment of the airport during World War II. Charles de Gaulle Airport has three terminals with seven sub-terminal buildings. Terminal 2 was originally built exclusively for Air France. Since then, it has been expanded significantly and now also hosts other airlines. At number 9 is Shanghai Pudong, which has a capacity of 74 million passengers. Shanghai Pudong is one of two airports in the major Chinese city. Pudong focuses mainly on international flights, while Shanghai Hongqiao International serves more domestic and regional flights. Pudong is a fastest-growing hub, increasing capacity by 5.7% year-over-year and is the number 2 airport for total international air freight traffic, with nearly 3 million metric tons of freight loaded and unloaded in 2018. The airport is the main hub for China Eastern Airlines and Shanghai Airlines and a major international hub for Air China, as well as a secondary hub for China Southern Airlines. Pudong Airport has two main passenger terminals, flanked on both sides by four operational parallel runways. A third passenger terminal has been planned in 2015. At number 8 is Hong Kong International Airport, which has a capacity of 74.5 million passengers. The airport opened for commercial operations in 1998. Hong Kong International is the largest air cargo center in the world, handling more than 5 million metric tons of cargo in 2018. Hong Kong is a top global tourist destination, so the business of its airports is nothing unusual. Hong Kong was home to massive pro-democracy protests for a half of 2019. Demonstrations even took place at the airport on several occasions, causing flight cancellations and disrupting operations significantly. The city could see a reduced number of passengers after rising 2.6% from 2017 to 2018. About 90 airlines operate flights from the airport to over 150 cities across the globe. Hong Kong International Airport is home to two terminals. With a capacity of 80.1 million passengers, London Heathrow Airport is at number 7 on our list. London Airport, as Heathrow, was originally known opened in 1964. For years, London Heathrow was the world's busiest airport in terms of international passenger traffic, serving 185 destinations in 84 countries. The British airport has a high rate of foreign travelers. Within a decade, capacity at the airport was already 2 million passengers a year. In 1966, the airport was renamed Heathrow. Initially, it had three terminals. 20 years later, Terminal 4 opened. Terminal 5 opened in 2008, by which time the airport was being used by about 80 million passengers annually. The sixth terminal is very small and only used for royals, head of states, and some celebrities. O'Hare International Airport has a capacity of 83.4 million passengers, so comes at number 6. Since opening in 1955, Chicago O'Hare has consistently been one of the busiest passenger hubs in the world, in terms of takeoffs and landings, rather than the number of passengers. It is the busiest airport in the world, with the most aircraft movements. It was named after Edward Butch O'Hare, the U.S. Navy's first Medal of Honor recipient during the World War II. O'Hare began as an airfield serving a dogless manufacturing plant for C-54 military transports during World War II. It has five terminals. Terminal 5 is for international flights. It serves close to 40 different airlines, and provides direct flights to more than 60 international destinations. With a capacity of 87.1 million passengers, Tokyo Haneda Airport comes at number 5. Tokyo Haneda was built in 1931 and was the largest civil airport in Japan. At the time, it operated a single runway, when in 1939, an additional one was built. The Tokyo government planned to expand it, but the plans were scraped with the breakout of World War II. Afterwards, the American converted it into a military field. In the 1950s, the Haneda resumed commercial service. Haneda Airport is the second busiest in Asia. Haneda has three terminals, two domestic and one international one. Having won the bid for the 2020 Summer Olympics, the Japanese government has increased capacity even further. Los Angeles International has the capacity of 87.5 million passengers, so it comes at number 4. LAX is the biggest airport on the West Coast, essentially connecting America with Asia and Oceania. LAX is recognized for its unique theme building, which looks like a UFO that has landed on its legs. For many years now, the airport has consistently managed to sustain its status as one of the busiest airports in the world. Currently, LAX has nine terminals, serving 71 airlines, which fly to domestic and international destinations. The airport is home to the Private Suite, a members-only club that costs $4,500 per year, plus a minimum of $2,700 per flight. The membership includes a separate VIP terminal that is much like flying private. Around half of the members are business executives, and the other half are celebrities. Having the capacity of 89.1 million passengers, Dubai International comes at number 3. As the premier airport in the United Arab Emirates, Dubai International is the world's busiest airport in terms of international passengers. In 1959, the Sheikh of Dubai issued the order to construct the airport. At first, the runway was a strip of compacted sand. After four years, construction of an asphalt runway started. During the 1980s, Dubai International saw rapid expansion. The reason? It was a stopping point between Europe and the Southeast Asia, Oceania and other parts of Asia. It is also one of the few airports in the world which can support the Airbus A380 Super Jumbo. Terminal 3 was completed in 2008. It was the world's largest building, an honor it held until 2013. Dubai Duty Free, which operates out of DXB, is the most successful airport retailer, generating $1.8 billion alone. Second on the list is Beijing Capital Airport. It has a capacity of 101 million passengers. Other countries have started their airports as a runway field. Beijing Capital had a proper terminal building and a runway. It was opened for passengers and flights in 1958. After 20 years of using one terminal, the airport operators deemed it was too small. So, a new Terminal 2 was built. To mark the 50th anniversary of the People's Republic of China, the airport opened up Terminal 2. Terminal 3 was opened up in 2008, just before the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games. Terminal 3 at that time was the largest man-made structure in the world and presented the growth of China as one of the economic powers in the world. The airport has the honor of receiving the first international flight in China. Pakistan International Airlines flew in from Islamabad. Currently, Beijing Capital has three terminals and three runways. Economists determined that the airport brings in over $6 billion to China and directly or indirectly creates over 550,000 jobs. Topping the list is Hartsfield-Jackson. It has a capacity of 107.4 million passengers. Opened in September 1980, Hartsfield-Jackson is located in the United States. Hartsfield-Jackson is one of the biggest airports in the world as its passenger numbers year after year keeps it very busy. In fact, Hartsfield-Jackson has been the busiest airport in the world for 20 years now. It was Atlanta committed to building an airfield in the location of an abandoned racetrack called the Atlanta Speedways. Mayor Walter Sims named it Candler Field. Florida Airways' mail aircraft was the first plane to land in the airfield. A few years after that, Eastern Airlines and Delta Airlines began their flights to the airport. As time went by, the airfield quickly grew to become one of the biggest in the United States. In 2003, the Atlanta City Council voted to rename the airport Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International to honor two former mayors of Atlanta. Currently, the airport has two terminals. The terminal and concourse space totals 630,000 square meters. To compare, the city-state of the Vatican has a total area of 440,000 square meters. There you have it, a complete list of the 10 largest airports in the world. Now, are you ready for takeoff? Which one of these airports would you like to go? Comment it down below and hit that like button if you find this video valuable and fun. Also, don't forget to subscribe to our channel, District 10 TV, for we are here to serve you lots of interesting videos like this. See you on our next video!