Travel

World’s biggest airport which is eight times larger than Paris – but has just 10million passengers a year


IF you are often running late for your flight, there is one airport you might want to avoid.

King Fahd International Airport is the biggest in the world – with the entire area being eight times bigger than Paris.

The airport in Saudi Arabia is eight times the size of the city of Paris

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The airport in Saudi Arabia is eight times the size of the city of ParisCredit: kfia.gov
Only around 10 million passengers use the airport every single year

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Only around 10 million passengers use the airport every single yearCredit: Getty
The airport has its own section especially for the Saudi royal family

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The airport has its own section especially for the Saudi royal familyCredit: kfia.gov

The airport near Dammam was built in 1999, and named after King of Saudi Arabia Fahd ibn Abdulaziz who reigned for 23 years before his death in 2005.

Operating at the airport are 37 airlines serving 43 destinations.

This includes Emirates and Qatar Airways as well as Lufthansa, Wizz Air and KLM.

Despite its size – it’s around 300sq miles – it only attracts 10million passengers a year, compared to Heathrow Airport which had 80million in 2019.

The reason for its size is still debated, with some suggesting it initially planned to be a much larger operation when airlines such as British Airways and Cathay Pacific used to fly to and from it.

The main 3,520,000sqft terminal has six levels, ranging from arrivals and departures to boarding and top floor with views of the two runways.

Passengers will spot some familiar brands at the airport including Krispy Kreme, McDonalds, Subway, Starbucks and Tim Hortons which are before security.

Other cafes and stalls after security include Baskin Robbins and Burger King.

And if you need to kill time shopping, the Duty Free area has all of the well-known designer brands including Calvin Klein, Tom Ford, Hugo Boss and Versace, as well as cheaper brands such as Ray Ban and Toblerone.

Want some added luxury? Opt for one of the lounges, such as the Plaza Premium lounge, Alfursan Golden Lounges or NaSmiles Lounge.

And one area you’ll never see is the Royal Terminal, reserved for the country’s royal family, government and official guests to the region.

Inside it are landscaped gardens across the 177,000sqft terminal, with four bridges linked to the aircraft.

A huge mosque was built on top of the car park roof for passengers to use.

And the airport is to undergo a huge $26.6million (£21m) development to improve customer service experiences and baggage handling.

The UK’s biggest airport is London Heathrow and is considered the busiest as well.

However, the biggest by size in Europe is Charles de Gaulle Airport in Paris, which is used as a huge transport hub for passengers.

And the best airport in the world recently revealed their three-year renovation, which included a 45ft waterfall, indoor garden and robot bartender.

It has flights from 37 airlines serving 43 different destinations

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It has flights from 37 airlines serving 43 different destinationsCredit: kfia.gov





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