Top 10 Interesting Facts About Airport

Top 10 interesting facts about airports

1. Oldest continuous licensed airport in the UK

Yes that’s right, with Harold Piffard flying from here in 1910, Brighton City Airport is the oldest continuous licensed airport in the UK overtaking Gatwick and Heathrow Airport. Brighton City Airport management state that the airport is ‘the oldest continuous licensed airport in the UK. The terminal building and hangar represent a significant survival from early and significant days of civil aviation.

2. The world’s busiest commercial airport

Taking the top spot for another year, the world’s busiest commercial airport is Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta (ATL). The airport was visited by just over 100 million passengers last year and has been the world’s busiest airport since 1998! The biggest airline operating at Atlanta is Delta. In the UK, Heathrow Airport takes the lead with around 75 million passengers, making it the 7th most visited airport in the world.

3. The world’s tallest air traffic control tower

The world’ tallest air traffic control tower is based at Suvarnabhumi International Airport, also known as Bangkok International Airport in Thailand. The tower is a 132.2m (434ft) height round shaped building and is as tall as a 40-story skyscraper. The air traffic control tower handles about 76 flights per hour and has a 360 degree view of the 32.4km2 surface area of the airport.

4. Smallest airport in the world

The smallest airport in the world is Juancho E. Yrausquin Airport, located on the Caribbean island of Saba. The airport has the shortest commercial runway in the world which is 0.2 miles long. This means that the runway is too short for large aircrafts resulting in airlines having to get special permission to fly there. The only airline that currently operates at the airport is Windward Islands Airways.

5. Largest airport in the world

Following on from the smallest airport, the largest in terms of its size is King Fahd International Airport (KFIA) in Dammam, Saudi Arabia. The construction of the airport began in 1983 and was completed in 1999. The passenger terminal covers an area of 3,520,000 square feet.

6. Check-in

The first ever internet and online check in was introduced by Alaska Airlines in 1999. The option to check in online is used by all airlines and is often open 24 hours before your flight departure. Checking in online is an easy way of saving time instead of rushing to the airport super early. Airlines introduced this feature to help their passengers have a smoother journey. You can check-in online on any device such as a mobile phone, laptop or tablet.

7. world’s airports

Around one third of the world’s airports are based in the United States of America.

8. Duty-Free

Standing at around 161,000 square feet, Dubai Airport’s duty free is the largest shopping space at an airport in the world. The stores are open 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Sales for 2017 are forecast to reach $1.85 billion.

9. The longest paved runway in the world

The longest paved runway in the world is at Qamdo Bamda Airport in China.  The runway is about 3.4 miles.

10. Car Park

The world’s largest car park within one single building under one roof is at the Seattle-Tacome International Airport. The car park can accommodate 13,000 cars. All spots are eligible for both short-term and long-term parking.