King Fahd International Airport (KFIA) in Dammam, Saudi Arabia, is the largest international airport in the world by area.
Understanding Airport Scale
King Fahd International Airport covers a remarkable total area of approximately 780 square kilometers (301 square miles). While the developed area is much smaller, the total designated land makes it the largest airport site globally. This vast size is significantly larger than many well-known city airports.
Comparing Large Airports
To put the size of KFIA into perspective, let's look at some other major airports known for their large footprints:
- Denver International Airport (DIA) in the United States is often cited as one of the largest by area, covering about 135.7 square kilometers (52.4 square miles).
- Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport (DFW), also in the U.S., occupies roughly 69.6 square kilometers (26.9 square miles).
Comparing these figures clearly shows the immense scale of King Fahd International Airport compared to other major international hubs.
Area Comparisons: Countries vs. Airports
While airports like KFIA cover significant territory, their areas are minuscule when compared to the landmass of entire countries. For instance, a reference discussing the Top 10 largest countries in the world by area highlights just how vast countries are:
| Rank | Country | Area (in sq km) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Russia | 17,098,242 |
| 2 | Canada | 9,984,670 |
| 3 | China | 9,596,960 |
| 4 | United States of America | 9,525,067 |
As shown in the table derived from sources like the Indian Express, the largest countries span millions of square kilometers. Even the largest airport in the world, at 780 sq km, occupies an area equivalent to only a tiny fraction of the smallest countries on a global scale, let alone the giants like Russia or Canada. This demonstrates the immense difference in scale between national territories and infrastructure projects like airports, regardless of how large the airport is.
