776km² · King Fahd Airport
Short answer: by area, King Fahd International Airport near Dammam in Saudi Arabia is the largest airport in the world, at about 776 km². The busiest airport is Hartsfield-Jackson in Atlanta, with more than 106 million passengers in 2025.
“Largest” can mean two things for an airport: the size of the site or the number of travellers. You will find both below.
Largest airport by area
King Fahd International Airport in Dammam, in eastern Saudi Arabia, has about 776 km² of land according to Saudipedia. That is larger than some countries. Most of the site is not used for runways or terminals but held in reserve.
The 10 busiest airports in the world
According to figures from ACI World, these were the busiest airports by passenger numbers in 2025:
- Atlanta (ATL): 106.3 million
- Dubai (DXB): 95.2 million
- Tokyo Haneda (HND): 91.7 million
- Dallas/Fort Worth (DFW): 85.7 million
- Shanghai Pudong (PVG): 85.0 million
- Chicago O’Hare (ORD): 84.9 million
- London Heathrow (LHR): 84.5 million
- Istanbul (IST): 84.4 million
- Guangzhou (CAN): 83.6 million
- Denver (DEN): 82.4 million
Why is Atlanta so busy?
Atlanta is the home base of Delta Air Lines and lies within a few hours’ flight of a large share of the US population. Many travellers change planes there. Dubai, by contrast, is the busiest airport for international travellers.
Tips for connecting at a big airport
- When booking, allow at least an hour and a half to two hours for a connection, especially if you need to change terminals.
- Download the airport app for maps and walking times.
- On a tight connection, pick a seat near the front of the plane; see also our tips on choosing a seat.
Final edit: Jan Willem Beumer, editor-in-chief of Mindbogglingmedia
