Shanghai Pudong International Airport is the tenth-largest airport in the world by land size, reaching 40.0 km². However, with almost 77 million passengers in 2024, the airport is also one of the world's busiest. This made the airport also the tenth-busiest airport in the world by passenger volume, and the busiest airport in China.
The airport serves as a key hub for many airlines, including China Eastern Airlines and Shanghai Airlines, which use it as their main hub. Additionally, China Southern Airlines uses the airport as a secondary hub, and it serves an important role in Air China's international network.
As of writing, the airport is undertaking multiple massive expansion projects, including the construction of a new terminal with capacity for 50 million annual passengers and additional runways. These projects will support the airport's growth to 130 million annual passengers.
George Bush Intercontinental Airport is the world's ninth-largest airport in terms of land size at 44.5 km². The airport serves as one of the most important hubs for United Airlines, welcoming 48.5 million passengers in 2024.
The airport has five terminals connected by a people mover, with Terminals D and E facilitating international arrivals and departures. Terminal D has the required facilities to welcome superjumbos such as the Boeing 747 and Airbus A380.
Houston serves as an important international gateway to the U.S., and for a brief moment in 2017 and 2019, the airport had direct flights to all inhabited continents.
The reason the airport grew so large in land size is because the city strategically acquired a vast amount of cheap land north of the city when planning the airport in the 1960s, allowing for future expansion and growth as a major hub.
The expansion projects at these airports demonstrate the growing importance of cargo and passenger hubs in global aviation. As the world's busiest airports continue to expand, they will play an increasingly critical role in shaping the future of air travel.
The expansion projects at these airports demonstrate the growing importance of cargo and passenger hubs in global aviation.
