Undoubtedly, the airports are one of the most singular elements of the infrastructure of a country or a city. They are the places where everyone visiting a country for the first time gets their first impression of a new place, and they are also the last thing a person will remember when leaving the country. In many cases, the airport will be one of the most enduring memories a person will have of a country or city they have visited and can sometimes even be a determining factor in deciding whether or not to return.
Competition for the title of the world's largest airport is beginning to heat up.
Both airport operators and governments are realising this, so in recent years we have seen many countries embarking on ambitious plans to build the biggest and best airport in the world. For many, the goal is to reach the coveted figure of 100 million passengers per yearFor others, it is about having the biggest and most complex terminal designed by the most prestigious architect. Whatever the reason, many countries are now demonstrating their potential by planning, or building, new ultra-modern hubs to compete for the coveted title of the biggest and best airport in the world.
This article will describe some of the most talked-about airports, both under construction and under development. These airports are spread across several continents, some of them in surprising locations. Of course there are many more, but I have tried to focus on some of the biggest new construction or spectacular expansion projects.
NAICM (New Mexico City International Airport)
This is one of the most talked-about projects of the moment. It has been designed by the renowned British architect Sir Norman Foster, in collaboration with the Mexican architect Fernando Romero. The design of the terminal depicts an eagle with spread wings, one of Mexico's national symbols.
Most of the planning and design processes have been completed and preliminary construction works are underway. In addition, a large part of the major construction tenders have already been awarded or are in the approval process. Construction of this airport (valued at $10 billion) is expected to be completed in early 2019, when it will also be fully operational. From then on, and in a first phase, it will be able to handle the transit of 50 million passengers per year. Further expansion phases are planned for 2028 and then in 2062, after which it will have a total of six runways, which will result in an extraordinary 120 million passengers per year.
Istanbul Grand, Turkey
Along with NAICM, this is another of the most ambitious projects currently underway. Aiming to consolidate Istanbul as a central aviation hub and the most important connection between Europe and Asia, IGA is going above and beyond to get the airport up and running in record time. When the first of five phases is completed, by the end of 2018 according to the current schedule, the new airport will handle up to 90 million passengers over a terminal area of 1.3 million m2 and will have three runways. Once all phases are completed, the airport will be able to handle up to 200 million passengers a year and will have six parallel runways. An ambitious task to say the least.
Beijing Daxing, China
This is another new airport project now under construction. Its design aims to ease the burden on the existing airport, which is struggling to meet existing demand. It is expected to be operational in its first phase in 2019, after which it will handle at least 70 million passengers per year. Further expansion phases are planned for the future, allowing the airport to accommodate 130 million passengers, with eight runways and a six-pointed terminal, in keeping with traditional Chinese aesthetics, the result of the work of the prestigious Zaha Hadid architecture studio.
Al Maktoum Dubai World Central
Clearly it would be wrong not to include a Middle Eastern airport in this competition for having the largest megahub. At the moment, Dubai International Airport ranks first in terms of annual international passenger traffic (in 2015 it ousted London Heathrow Airport from its long-standing lead). Despite this, spectacular plans are already underway to expand Al Maktoum into the world's best international hub. The airport opened in 2010 primarily for cargo and freight operations. However, it is now undergoing a series of expansion phases with tenders and projects already underway. Its final capacity is estimated to be around 160 million passengers per year. As with many of the large hub projects currently underway, it is also part of a larger airport city development project aimed at attracting business and investment to the area.
New Addis Ababa International Airport
It seems that Africa is also in the competition for the most modern hub. Ethiopia's transport minister is finalising plans for the construction of a new airport in the capital, Addis Ababa. Estimated to take eight years to build and costing around $4 billion, the project aims to transform the region and put the city of Addis Ababa firmly on the global air transport map. In contrast to the current under-resourced airport, the new four-runway facility will provide the solution to the problem by handling up to 120 million passengers a year. It also includes planning for an airport mega-city linked to the project that will further boost the region's revenues.
Europe 1, Italy
Of all the airport projects mentioned above, this is perhaps the one at the earliest stage of development, but it should certainly not be overlooked. A Chinese investment company is in charge of the consortium of private investors whose aim is to build a $15 billion hub in northern Italy. The project, so far dubbed Europe 1, involves the construction from scratch of a modern hub capable of handling the transit of... yes, you guessed it... 100 million passengers a year (there's that long-awaited figure again!). Various sources claim that this innovative project will even include a spaceport, the design of which is being undertaken by the renowned architectural firm of Luis Vidal. Definitely a project to watch out for.
These are some of the most prominent airport projects currently under development. However, we are likely to see similar hub projects in the coming months. Nevertheless, one thing is clear: the competition for the title of the world's largest airport is beginning to heat up, and in a few years' time we may have a new champion. The question is, how long will one of these contenders hold the lead until something bigger and better is built?
