To grasp the magnitude of the size of the largest airports in Asia in terms of land area, the continent is home to the world’s largest airport i.e. King Fahd International Airport in Saudi Arabia. Additionally, Asia is the second continent to produce the largest number of airports in the list of the top 10 ten largest airports in the world. It comes after the USA, which has a total of 5 airports in the list, with 4 airports.
List of the 12 largest airports in Asia in terms of land coverage as of 2021
- King Fahd International Airport (Land Area 78000 hectares)
- Shanghai Pudong International Airport (Land Area 3350 hectares)
- Suvarnabhumi Airport (Land Area 3,240 hectares)
- Beijing Daxing International Airport (Land Area 2,679.01ha)
- Dubai International Airport (Land Area 2,900 ha)
- Hyderabad’s Rajiv Gandhi International Airport (Land Area 2223 ha)
- Indira Gandhi International Airport (Land Area 2,066 ha)
- Beijing Capital International Airport (Land Area 1,480 ha)
- Singapore Changi Airport (Land Area )
- Hong Kong International Airport (Land Area 1,255 ha)
- Incheon International Airport (Land Area 1,174 ha)
- Narita International Airport (Land Area 1,125ha)
Overview of the Top 12 Largest Airports in Asia
1. King Fahd International Airport
The King Fahd International Airport in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is the largest airport not only in Asia but also in the entire world in terms of land area with a total area of 78000 hectares.
The airport is located in Dammam – the capital city of Eastern Province, Saudi Arabia. Its construction began in 1983 and it was opened for commercial operation in November 1999.
2. Shanghai Pudong International Airport
Shanghai Pudong International Airport is one of the two international airports in Shanghai, China, and a major aviation hub of East Asia, occupying an area of 3350 hectares approximately 30 km from the Shanghai city centre, in Pudong.
Construction of the airport began back in October 1997 and it was opened for operation in October 1999.
3. Suvarnabhumi Airport
Suvarnabhumi Airport also known as Bangkok Airport, is one of two international airports serving Bangkok, Thailand. The airport is located in Racha Thewa in the Bang Phli district of Samut Prakan province on an area of 3,240 hectares.
Plans for the construction of the facility gained momentum back in 1973 when the site was purchased. However actual construction did not begin until January 2002. The airport was opened for commercial operation in September 2006.
4. Beijing Daxing International Airport
Located on the border of Beijing and Langfang, Hebei Province in China, Beijing Daxing International Airport which is nicknamed “the starfish”, was proposed in 2008 and its construction was completed on June 30, 2019, after approximately 57 months of actual construction.
Sitting on an area of 2,679.01ha, the facility features 4 runways (with the prospect of becoming 7 in the future) and a vast terminal building covering a 700.000m² area while the ground transportation centre extends to 80.000m².
5. Dubai International Airport
Dubai International Airport sits on a 2,900 hectares piece of land in the Al Garhoud district, Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
Construction of the airport was ordered by Sheikh Rashid bin Saeed Al Maktoum, in 1959. It was officially opened in 1960 with its first airfield featuring a 1,800-metre-long (5,900 ft.) runway made of compacted sand, three turning areas, an apron, and a small terminal.
Also Read: Top ten largest airports in the USA
6. Hyderabad’s Rajiv Gandhi International Airport
Located in Shamshabad on a 2223 hectares piece of land, Hyderabad’s Rajiv Gandhi International Airport serves Hyderabad, the capital of the Indian state of Telangana.
The foundation stone for the construction of the airport was laid in March 2005. In March 2008, the airport, featuring one passenger terminal, a cargo terminal, and two runways, was opened to the public.
7. Indira Gandhi International Airport
Indira Gandhi International Airport is located in the city of Delhi, India, on an area of 2,066 hectares. The airport was built during World War II as RAF Station Palam. When the British left the airport began commercial operation under the name Palam Airport.
An additional terminal with nearly four times the area of the old Palam terminal was constructed. Following the inauguration of this new terminal, in May 1986, the airport was renamed to its current name.
8. Beijing Capital International Airport
Occupying approximately 1,480 hectares of land in Beijing, China, PEK was opened back in March 1958, a time that it only had one small terminal building, and a single 2,500-metre runway on the east.
The airport has however been expanded and to date, it features a total of three world-class runways, (18L/36R 3,810 m asphalt, 18R/36L 3,445 m asphalt, and 01/19 3,810 m concrete), and three terminals.
Terminal 1 is spread across an area of 60,000 meters square while Terminal 2 covers an area of 336,000 meters square. Terminal 3 occupies an area of 1,713,000 square meters and it is one of the largest airport terminals in the world and one of the largest buildings in the world by area.
9. Singapore Changi Airport (Land Area )
Commonly known as Changi Airport, Singapore Changi Airport is located in Changi, at the eastern end of Singapore. The airport opened in 1955 with a single runway and a small passenger terminal that has a total area of 1,300 hectares.
10. Hong Kong International Airport
Hong Kong International Airport is built on 1,255 hectares of reclaimed land on the island of Chek Lap Kok, Hong Kong, China. Plans for the construction of the facility were conceptualized in the 1970s but the actual construction began in 1991 and was completed in 1997. The airport was officially opened for commercial operation in July 1998.
11. Incheon International Airport
Incheon International Airport is the largest airport in South Korea with a total area of 1,174 hectares. It is located west of Incheon’s city centre, on an artificially created piece of land between Yeongjong and Yongyu Islands.
Construction of the airport began in November 1992 and it was completed 8 years later and opened for commercial operations in March 2001.
12. Narita International Airport
Narita International Airport is Japan’s largest and Tokyo’s premier international airport situated in Narita. Previously known as New Tokyo International Airport, Narita was opened in 1978 and has a total land area of 1,125ha.
The airport has two runways (Runway A is 4,000m long and 60m wide, and Runway B is 2,500m long and 60m wide), and two terminals (Terminal 1 spread over 451,000m2 area and Terminal 2 spread over an area of 338,700m2.
