The World’s Largest Airport
Continuing this week’s semi-theme of very large things, we present the world’s largest airport near Dammam, Saudi Arabia!
Although it’s nowhere near what I’d expect from such a grand title. Compare its tiny, empty terminal to the bustling Heathrow airport and you’d be forgiven for thinking I was making it all up.
You see, King Fahd International is the world’s largest airport by area, and at 780 km² it is bigger than the nearby country of Bahrain. There’s 698,585 people in Bahrain and they’ve still got three airports!
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Am I missing something? The airport only seems to be about 35-40 square kilometres big, which is fairly standard for airports. Where are the other 750?
Yeah, I call nonsense. This airport’s footprint is no larger than any other two-runway airport. This is the largest airport purely in semantics, as it appears the facility is located on a vast stretch of open land that just happens to all be owned by the airport.
By comparison, Denver International Airport has six 12,000-foot-plus runways and covers 137.25 sq km. By most objective measures (gates, runway pavement, operations, etc), it’s a larger airport, just on a more typical land envelope.
Seems like an awful waste of space…
Alright guys, whats this:
Placemark: Google Maps / Google Earth
Its obviously military of some sort, as you can see bunkers in the lower left, and there is a fence with guard posts around it. Can anybody come up with something more specific. And what are those ‘things’ around the roads:
Placemark: Google Maps / Google Earth
weird.
That’s a Patriot Missile battery.
I presume this is Bahrain’s F1 track
Placemark: Google Maps / Google Earth
Cookie Monster,
You presum correctly. http://www.newarabia.net/formula_1_update.htm
Patirot missile battery I disagree. There’s not enough equipment in the “center” (Google Maps Link) area and there’s only 5 of those bridge looking wall things on the roads that have something (like a missle launcher perhaps) on the road itself. Granted, maybe the others are moved for maintence.. One other thing is that it’s set up for 9 launchers in a semi circle pattern… standard for patriot is 8, and in a more directional fashion…. there’s a couple of great examples in S.Korea but google map’s resolution isn’t detailed enough for me to find them right now. Maybe it’s better that way… for national security.
This airport took some 10 to 15 years to build due to delays. It was used by the US Airforce during the first Gulf War, which is why it is so big (they probably had a fleet of C-130s parked there at some point).
I was stationed at the airport in Desert Storm, there were hundreds of A10 Tank killers on the tarmac and numerous helicopters, and yes Patroit missle launchers too.
is it BKK is the longest run way
I was stationed there during Desert Storm also, it was big enough for a C-5 to take off.
I was stationed there from Aug 10, 1990 - April 24, 1991. I probably was one of the 1st Americans ever in that tower. This airport was state of the art in 1990. There were A-10’s, C-141’s. C-5’s. F-15/16’s there along with civilian aircraft. Patriot Missile batteries were also deployed. I remember several SCUD alerts and some flying right over KFIA. SOCCENT was stationed at the airport along with USAF.
I hope US leaves the area as soon as they can!!! They have to do that! They will!
The answer of the question:
MAD……….940,000……….10,118,035………..Madrid
ICN…………655,206…………7,052,550…………Seoul
LHR…………600,000…………6,458,320…………London
DEN…………557,420…………6,000,000…………Denver
HKG…………540,000………….5,812,488…………Hong Kong
ATL…………613,404…………5,700,000…………Atlanta
DFW…………510,968…………5,500,000…………Dallas
ORD…………441,941…………4,757,000…………Chicago
LAX…………355,731…………3,829,052…………Los Angeles
JFK…………330,850…………3,561,233………….New York
You Konw what!, I was the one who thought for 1000 years about the map of this airport. And dont forget that i am the one who what the top CEO of this airport when it was build. So Ju8st stop lying and accept the fact that I am the sUPER FIRSTONE WHO FLEW KINGS AIR PLANE FROM THIS BASE.
i think this airport is the lagest in the world
I’ve been to this airport, it’s really really huge i mean it will take you about an hour to see the whole airport. It’s big because there’s a lot of free space where it is built and it’s about 75 km from Dammam which is the closest city from the airport.
Tayyab Dear its not 75 Km from Dammam, its 35Km. I live in dammam and have been to airport more then a few times.
its an honour for muslims having the largest airport of the world……..proud to be a muslim
greaatt…………superb!! its really great flying from the largest airport of the world…….
three cheers to
KSA………!!!!!
Honours and prayers to KInng Fahad(late) and King Abdullah
May God Shower Prospirity to the country………..
Well let me tell you people King Fahd airport is situated 35km from Dammam and 75km from Jubail. It serves both these cities. The airport has actually two terminals. The eastern terminal is used for commercial/airline transport while the western terminal belongs to ( Saudi Aramco: The oil company in Saudi Arabia) and it is not accessible by any public people, it can only be accessed by Saudi Aramco Employees. The road which comes from Jubail and Dammam enters in between these two terminals and serves both sides of it. However there is also a taxiway for a aircraft to taxi to the other terminal over the road, they have created and underpass over it for the traffic to pass.
About the airport: The airport terminal is not that big as it was planned but even not much small. It was planned to build three terminals, one for Saudi Domestic, one for Saudi International and one for Foreign airlines departure. But due to less traffic they constructed only a single terminal common for all. But the airport is extremely Beautiful and very smooth in every matter, it has 4km long runway and all the gates. The baggage handling is also good, i have gone through this airport more than like 17-18 times but never reported mishandled baggage and luggage is always there after we go through our custom formalities. It has got a lobby and cafeteria from where u can have an aerial view of the airport including runways and gates.
The airport is equipped with modern systems like there is a computerized system for helping the pilot to park at the gate instead of a man standing and shaking his arms. The announcement system is very good, u can catch each and every word spoken. The airport has a very big underground car parking and a very beautiful mosque. The airport has a very tall control tower also equipped with modern equipment.
At the last but not the least IT IS THE BEST AIRPORT i have ever visited. Its even better than London Heathrow airport, which is always packed with people.
Correction, the east terminal is the one used by Saudi Aramco, there is also a third terminal which is the royal terminal and a cargo terminal as well. It has two 4km runways. The Airport is connected to urbas areas by two roads, the northern exit leads to Qatif, Ras Tanura and Jubail and the southern exit leads to Dammam, Dhahran and Khobar.