Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al Maktoum just announced on X the approval of new passenger terminals at Al Maktoum International Airport (DWC) in Dubai.
With the capacity to host up to to 260 million passengers annually, the project will feature five parallel runways and 400 aircraft gates. With construction set to begin immediately, Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, said, “The initial phase of the project will be completed within a decade.”
Dubai’s ruler and Prime Minister of the UAE announced this “as part of Dubai Aviation Corporation’s strategy” and that he hopes the airport “will be the world’s airport, its port, its urban hub, and its new global center.”
Sitting on the outskirts of Dubai, surrounded by an empty desert the area will soon also house over a million people with plans set to be drawn up for an ‘airport city’. DWC will also be the new hub of UAE’s flagship carrier, low-cost carrier Flydubai and their partner airlines.
Largest airports in the world in 2024
In terms of pure size, not volume of passengers, here are the other biggest airports in the world that round out the top five.
King Fahd International Airport in Dammam, Saudi Arabia (DMM): measuring at 300 square miles, the massive airport actually only sees roughly 10 million passengers annually.
Denver International Airport (DEN): at 53 square miles, it is double the size of the next largest U.S. airport and embraces outdoor spaces with views of the Rocky Mountains and Colorado plains in the distance.
Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KUL): with plans to expand to handle up to 100 million passengers per year, currently at 39 square miles the airport is a key hub for airlines in Malaysia’s capital city.
Istanbul Airport (IST): the relatively new airport opened in 2019 and is hoping to serve the most passengers per year. At 29.5 square miles, the airport is a feat of modern design and focuses on sustainability.