Lubwa Leonard

Top 10 biggest airports in the world

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The airline is one of the industries that has been hard hit by the COVID-19 pandemic. The world’s airports, both large and small have remained empty and idle for the better part of 2020. Despite the interruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, the airline industry has been reporting steady growth in passenger traffic over the past years.

To accommodate the growing number of passengers, airports are also improving and expanding their infrastructure. The world’s biggest airports are also the busiest in the world. Below are the top 10 biggest and busiest airports in the world;

  1. Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL)

Jackson Atlanta International Airport

Hartsfield-Jackson was launched in 1980 and has annual traffic of 107.4 million passengers. The airport has ranked the busiest in the world since 1998. Hartsfield-Jackson is ranked the world’s second busiest in terms of landing and takeoffs. One of the factors that contributed to the airport’s growth is its convenient location in Atlanta. Atlanta is always a 2-hour flight from 80 percent of the country’s population.

ATL covers an expansive area of approximately 4,700 acres (1,902 hectares). It is situated about 10 miles (16 kilometers) south of downtown Atlanta, making it easily accessible to both the city and its surrounding areas.

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  1. Beijing Capital International Airport (PEK)

Beijing Capital International Airport

The capital city of the world’s second economy has the busiest airport in Asia and the second busiest in the world. The airport holds 101 million passengers every year. The airport serves 14 million more passengers compared to Tokyo International.

PEK consists of three main terminals: Terminal 1, Terminal 2, and Terminal 3. Terminal 1 primarily handles domestic flights, while Terminal 2 serves both domestic and international flights

In preparation for the 2008 Olympics, the city of Beijing constructed a massive Terminal 3, one of the largest in the world. The airport is home to China’s Air China which flies to more than 120 destinations.

  1. Dubai International Airport (DXB)

Dubai International Airport

With an annual traffic of 89.1 million passengers, Dubai International Airport is the largest airport in the United Arab Emirates, and the busiest in the world in terms of international passengers. The airport’s Terminal 3 was completed in 2008 and become the largest in the world until 2013.

  1. Los Angeles International Airport (LAX)

Los Angeles International Airport

Los Angeles International Airport is the world’s busiest origin and destination airport. This means there are more flights starting and ending at LAX compared to connecting flights. The airport hosts “The Private Suite” – a members-only club that costs $4,500 per year, plus a minimum of $2,700 per flight.

LAX covers a vast area of approximately 3,500 acres (1,416 hectares) and consists of nine passenger terminals labeled from 1 to 9. Each terminal serves different airlines and operates a wide range of domestic and international flights.

  1. Tokyo Haneda Airport (HND)

Tokyo Haneda Airport

Tokyo Haneda Airport with annual traffic of 87.1 million passengers is the second busiest airport in Asia. The Japanese government moved to expand the airport in preparation for the 2020 Summer Olympics. Also called Tokyo International, Haneda Airport, it ranks fifth in the world and is overtaken by Los Angeles by just 400,000 passengers.

The airport has three passenger terminals: Terminal 1, Terminal 2, and the International Terminal. Terminal 1 mainly handles domestic flights operated by Japan Airlines (JAL) and its affiliated airlines, while Terminal 2 serves domestic flights operated by All Nippon Airways (ANA) and its partners.

  1. O’Hare International Airport (ORD)

Chicago O’Hare International Airport

Chicago O’Hare International Airport was opened in 1955 and has been ranked among the busiest in the world. The airport has annual traffic of 83.4 million passengers. The airport is the busiest in the world in terms of landings and takeoffs and also has the most aircraft movements. O’Hare International Airport serves around 40 airlines and offers direct flights to over 60 international destinations in the world.

  1. London Heathrow Airport (LHR)

London Heathrow Airport

London Heathrow has carried the crown of the busiest airport for several years in terms of international passenger traffic. The airport has annual traffic of 80.1 million passengers and serves 185 destinations in 84 counties. British airport has a high number of international travelers. It has six terminals with five open to the public.

  1. Hong Kong International Airport (HKG)

Hong Kong International Airport

Hong Kong International is the world’s largest air cargo center and handles more than 5 million metric tonnes of cargo according to 2018 data. The airport has annual traffic of 74.5 million passengers. The airport was a center of demonstration during the recent pro-democracy protest, which led to the closure of the airport.

  1. Shanghai Pudong International Airport (PVG)

Shanghai Pudong International Airport

Shanghai Pudong is one of the two airports located in the Chinese city of Shanghai. Another one is Shanghai Hongqiao International airport. Pudong mainly serves international flights while Hongqiao International serves domestic and regional flights. Pudong has an annual passenger traffic of 74 million passengers.

  1. Paris-Charles de Gaulle Airport (CDG)

Paris-Charles de Gaulle Airport

Paris-Charles de Gaulle Airport was named after the former French general and president, Charles de Gaulle Airport and was completed in 1974. The airport has been the second-busiest in Europe for several years. The airport has annual traffic of 72.2 million passengers.

Longest bridges in UK (United Kingdom)

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Longest bridges in UK: Bridges are a critical component of a nation’s infrastructure. They provide crucial access between regions and cities, linking workers to jobs, goods to markets and people to essential services.

Also Read: Longest Bridges in the USA

Additionally, bridges are landmarks of civilisation and the triumph of human organization. They define the identity of towns and cities as well as countries, and they are also a source of civic pride for the people who live there.

Below are the top 5 sources of civic pride for people living in the UK.

  1. Bromford Viaduct in Birmingham (length 5.6 kilometres)
  2. Prince of Wales Bridge in England/Wales (length 5.12 kilometres)
  3. Tay Bridge in Scotland (length 4.43 kilometres)
  4. Dartford crossing–Queen Elizabeth 2 bridge in
  5. Queensferry Crossing in Scotland (length 2.70 kilometres)

Longest bridges in UK, overview

1. Bromford Viaduct

Bromford, the longest bridge in UK

With a total length of 5.6 kilometres, the Bromford Viaduct is the longest bridge in the UK.

The bridge carries the M6 motorway between Castle Bromwich and Gravelly Hill along the River Tame Valley in Birmingham, England. The Bromford Viaduct has 3.5 miles elevated section above the motorway which makes it the longest viaduct in Great Britain.

The Bromford Viaduct was constructed between 1964 and 1972.

2. The Second Severn Crossing

Second Severn Crossing, one of the longest bridges in UK

Another one of the longest bridges in UK is the Second Severn Crossing. Officially called the Prince of Wales Bridge the bridge crosses over the River Severn and connects England and Wales.

The second Severn Crossing has a length of 5.128 kilometres. It is therefore the second longest bridge in the UK. The bridge’s construction was completed back in 1996 to ease traffic over the Severn Bridge.

Noteworthy, the Second Severn Crossing is part of the M4 moving from West London to Northwest of Swansea.

3. Tay Bridge, 3rd longest bridge in UK

one of the longest bridges in UK

Tay Bridge is also one of the longest bridges in UK. This rail bridge carries the railway across the Firth of Tay in Scotland between Dundee and the suburb of Wormit in Fife.

Spanning a distance of 4.43 kilometres the bridge to be precise is the third largest in the UK overall. It is also the longest in the rail bridge category in the country.

Tay Bridge was built between July 1883 and 1887 to replace another bridge that collapsed in 1847. The former, built between 1971 and 1878, collapsed because of “poor use of cast-iron girders”. It was 3.26 kilometres long.

The new double-track bridge was built parallel to the remains of the first bridge.

4. The Queen Elizabeth II Bridge

one of the longest bridges in UK

Queen Elizabeth II Bridge which is a part of the Dartford Crossing is the fourth longest bridge in the UK.

The 2.87-kilometre-long bridge carries the A282 road between Dartford in Kent to the south and Thurrock in Essex to the north. It is therefore a major crossway along the River Thames in England.

The construction of the Queen Elizabeth II Bridge started back in the late 80s, mainly to reduce traffic on the Dartford Crossing tunnels. At the time of its launch in 1991, the bridge was the longest cable-stayed bridge in the world.

5. Queensferry Crossing

The 5th longest bridge in UK

Formerly known as the Forth Replacement Crossing, Queensferry Crossing is the third bridge to be constructed across the Forth River in Scotland.

The 2.7-kilometre bridge was built between 2011 and 2017 alongside the existing Forth Road Bridge and the Forth Bridge.

Alongside the Queensferry Crossing, approximately 4 kilometres of new connecting roads were built. The project also led to new and upgraded junctions at Ferrytoll in Fife, South Queensferry and Junction 1A on the M9.

Queensferry thus carries the M90 motorway across the river between Edinburgh, at South Queensferry, and Fife, at North Queensferry.

Largest solar farms in US

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Largest solar farms in the US: Like many other countries around the world, the USA is embracing more renewable energy sources as it seeks to reduce fossil fuel consumption and reduce its carbon footprint.

The world’s largest economy has built some of the largest and most impressive solar farms in the world that have helped bring the country’s solar capacity to well over 92 gigawatts.

In this article, we take a look at the top 5 largest solar farms in the US

List of the top 5 largest solar farms in US

  1. Copper Mountain solar power plant in Nevada (Capacity 802MW)
  2. Mountain Signal solar power plant in California (Capacity 614MW)
  3. Solar Star solar power plant in California (Capacity 579MW)
  4. Desert Sunlight solar power plant in California (Capacity 550MW)
  5. Topaz solar power plant in California (Capacity 550MW)

An overview of the top 5 largest solar farms in US

1. Copper Mountain 

Copper Mountain, the top 5 largest solar farm in US

Copper Mountain is the largest solar farm in the USA with a nameplate capacity of 802 megawatts (MWAC). The power plant is located in Boulder City, Nevada, United States.

The first unit of Copper Mountain Solar Power Plant entered into service on December 1, 2010. At the time, the facility was the largest of its kind in the country with a nominal power of 58 MW. However, it was stripped of the position until its fifth unit came online in March 2021.

Copper Mountain Solar Power Plant was developed by Sempra Generation.

2. Mount Signal 

At the second position in our list of the largest solar farms in US is Mount Signal. The 614 MWAC photovoltaic power station is located in the southern Imperial Valley, west of Calexico, California, near the Mexican border.

The facility was developed and constructed in three phases by 8minutenergy Renewables. Construction began in 2012 and was completed in 2020.

3. Solar Star

Located near Rosamond, California, Solar Star is the third-largest solar farm in the US. 

Operated and maintained by SunPower Services, the photovoltaic power plant has a nominal capacity of 579MWAC. 

Construction of Solar Star Power Plant began back in 2013 and was completed in 2015 becoming the world’s largest solar farm in terms of installed capacity.

4. Desert Sunlight

one of the largest solar firms in US

Another one of the largest solar firms in the US is Desert Sunlight. The 550MW photovoltaic (PV) solar farm is located approximately six miles north of the rural community of Desert Center, Riverside County, California.

The project was conceptualized by FirstSolar back in 2008. Its construction started in September 2011 and was completed in February 2015.

Desert Sunlight solar power plant was developed and is being managed by FirstSolar. It is co-owned by NextEra Energy Resources, NRG Yield Operating, and Sumitomo Corporation of America (SCOA).

5. Topaz Solar 

Topaz Solar Farm was started in 2011 and completed in 2015.

The project is located in California. It was developed by First Solar, Inc., a leading manufacturer of thin-film solar panels, and it is now owned by Berkshire Hathaway Energy.

Just like the Desert Sunlight solar power plant, the Topaz solar power plant has a total nominal capacity of 550 MW.