Photographs: B Mathur/Reuters
There seems to be a race between nations to develop swankiest airports. Government are spending unheard of amount to develop airports.
While the Kuala Lumpur International Airport in Malaysia was entirely developed at a cost of $3.5 billion, London Heathrow Airport spent $4.3 billion on constructing one terminal (Terminal 5).
Important Indian airports are not too far behind in the race. International airports in Delhi, Mumbai and Kolkata, too, have spent billion in mere expansions.
Let’s take a look at the most expensive airport expansion projects and the money spend on constructing swanky terminal, runway system or modernisation.
Click NEXT to see the airports…
20 most expensive airport expansion projects
Image: Soekarno-Hatta International Airport Terminal 3Photographs: Netaholic13/Wikimdia Commons
Soekarno-Hatta International Airport
Rank: 20
Location: Banten, Indonesia
Project type: Construction of Terminal 4 and expansion of Terminal 1, 2, 3
Cost: $1.36 billion
This is the main airport serving the greater Jakarta area on the island of Java. The airport is named after the Indonesia’s first President and the first Vice president - Soekarno and Mohammad Hatta respectively. The airport opened in 1985.
…
20 most expensive airport expansion projects
Image: Passengers with their baggage move through the check-in area of the Tom Bradley International Terminal at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), in Los Angeles, California.Photographs: Patrick Fallon/Reuters
Los Angeles International Airport
Rank: 19
Location: Los Angeles, US
Project type: Expansion of Bradley West terminal
Cost: $1.5 billion
In 2012, Los Angeles International Airport was the sixth busiest airport in the world. In 2006, Los Angeles World Airports started a facelift of the Tom Bradley International Terminal.
Improvements included installing new paging, air conditioning and electrical systems, along with new elevators, escalators, baggage carousels, and a digital sign that automatically update flight information, according to Wikipedia.
…
20 most expensive airport expansion projects
Image: Skyview of the new Kolkata Integrated Terminal.Photographs: Rameshng/Wikimedia Commons
Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport
Rank: 18
Location: Kolkata, India
Project type: Construction of New Terminal
Cost: $1.5 billion
Earlier called as Dum Dum Airport, this is the largest airport in eastern India and one of only two international airports operating in West Bengal, the other being in Bagdogra.
It is the fifth busiest airport of India in terms of passenger traffic and is a major center for flights to North-East India, Bangladesh and Southeast Asia.
…
20 most expensive airport expansion projects
Image: Oliver Tambo Airport surrounded by different modes of transportation and businesses - forming an Airport City.Photographs: PretoriaTravel/Wikimedia Commons
OR Tambo International Airport
Rank: 17
Location: Johannesburg, South Africa
Project type: Expanding terminal
Cost: $1.5 billion
It serves as the primary airport for domestic and international travel to/from South Africa and is Africa's busiest airport with a capacity to handle up to 28 million passengers annually.
…
20 most expensive airport expansion projects
Photographs: Courtesy, GVK
Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport
Rank: 16
Location: Mumbai, India
Project type: Expansion project
Cost: $1.9 billion
The airport is the second busiest airport in India in terms of overall passenger traffic. It has five operating terminals spread over an operational area of 1,500 acres.
…
20 most expensive airport expansion projects
Photographs: Roger Price/Wikimedia Commons
Suvarnabhumi International Airport
Rank: 15
Location: Bangkok, Thailand
Project type: Terminal and runways expansion
Cost: $1.95 billion
Suvarnabhumi was officially opened all international commercial flights in September 2006. The airport is currently the main hub for Thai Airways International, Bangkok Airways and Orient Thai Airlines.
…
20 most expensive airport expansion projects
Image: Munich Airport (MUC) Central Area with office buildings, stores and a "Biergarten", located between Terminal 1 and Terminal 2.Photographs: Teamone/Wikimedia Commons
Munich Airport
Rank: 14
Location: Munich, Germany
Project type: Construction of Terminal 2
Cost: $2 billion
Munich Airport is the second busiest airport in Germany in terms of passenger traffic behind Frankfurt Airport, and the seventh busiest airport in Europe.
...
20 most expensive airport expansion projects
Image: Kuwait International AirportPhotographs: MuLaN/Wikimedia Commons
Kuwait International Airport
Rank: 13
Location: Farwaniyah, Kuwait
Project type: Construction of Terminal 2
Cost: $2.1 billion
The airport serves serves as hub for Jazeera Airways and Kuwait Airways. A portion of the airport complex is designated as Al Mubarak Air Base, which contains the headquarters of the Kuwait Air Force, as well as the Kuwait Air Force Museum, according to Wikipedia.
…
20 most expensive airport expansion projects
Image: Dublin Airport from the air.Photographs: Sue Mischyshyn/Wikimedia Commons
Dublin Airport
Rank: 12
Location: Dublin, Ireland
Project type: Expansion of the airport
Cost: $2.7 billion
Dublin Airport is the headquarters of: Ireland's flag carrier (Aer Lingus); Europe's largest low-cost carrier (Ryanair); Ireland's regional airline (Aer Arann) and fourth airline, CityJet.
The airport has an extensive short and medium haul network, served by an array of carriers. In recent years, long haul connections to Dubai and Abu Dhabi have been launched and have proved very popular, according to Wikipedia.
…
20 most expensive airport expansion projects
Image: Nine Mudras by Ayush Kasliwal at the T3 Terminal Indira Gandhi International Airport Delhi.Photographs: Rajkumar1220/Wikimedia Commons
Indira Gandhi International Airport
Rank: 11
Location: New Delhi, India
Project type: Construction of Terminal 3
Cost: $3 billion
With the commencement of operations at the new Terminal 3, Delhi's Indira Gandhi International Airport has become India's and South Asia's largest and one of the most important aviation hub, with a current capacity of handling more than 46 million passengers and aimed at handling more than 100 million passengers by 2030, according to Wikipedia.
…
20 most expensive airport expansion projects
Image: Terminal D and Grand Hyatt Hotel at Dallas Fort Worth International Airport.Photographs: Squeamish/Wikimedia Commons
Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport
Rank: 10
Location: Dallas, United States
Project type: Expansion of terminal A, B, C, E
Cost: $3 billion
In terms of passenger traffic, it is the eighth busiest airport in the world. It is the largest hub for American Airlines. DFW Airport is considered to be an Airport City.
The airport has its own post office ZIP code, and public services, including its own police, fire protection, and emergency medical services.
…
20 most expensive airport expansion projects
Image: Lobby of Terminal 3 of Beijing Capital International Airport.Photographs: Micah Sittig/Wikimedia Commons
Beijing Capital International Airport
Rank: 9
Location: Beijing, China
Project type: Construction of Terminal 3
Cost: $3.5 billion
Beijing Capital has rapidly ascended in rankings of the world's busiest airports in the past decade. It had become the busiest airport in Asia in terms of passenger traffic and total traffic movements.
In fact, As of 2012, Beijing Capital International Airport is the second busiest airport in the world in terms of passenger throughput behind Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport.
…
20 most expensive airport expansion projects
Photographs: Robert Werner/Wikimedia Commons
O'Hare International Airport
Rank: 8
Location: Chicago, United States
Project type: Modernisation
Cost: $4 billion
O'Hare has a strong international presence, with flights to more than 60 foreign destinations.
It is the fourth busiest international gateway in the United States behind John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York City, Los Angeles International Airport and Miami International Airport.
…
20 most expensive airport expansion projects
Image: People use the escalator of a departure lounge of Terminal 3 at Heathrow Airport in London.Photographs: Paul Hackett/Reuters
London Heathrow Airport
Rank: 7
Location: London, United Kingdom
Project type: Construction Terminal 5 construction
Cost: $4.3 billion
Heathrow is the busiest airport in the United Kingdom and the third busiest airport in the world in terms of total passenger traffic. It handles more international passengers than any other airport around the globe.
…
20 most expensive airport expansion projects
Image: A general view of the departure gates and duty free area at the new Emirates' terminal (Terminal 3) in Dubai International Airport.Photographs: Jumanah El-Heloueh/Reuters
Dubai International Airport
Rank: 6
Location: Dubai, UAE
Project type: Construction of Terminal 3
Cost: $4.5 billion
It is a major airline hub in the Middle East, and is the main airport of Dubai. It is the home base of Dubai's international airlines, Emirates, FlyDubai and Emirates SkyCargo.
Dubai Airport is spread over an area of 8,640 acres of land. In 2012, the airport handled a record 57.7 million in passenger traffic making the 10th busiest airport in the world by passenger traffic.
…
20 most expensive airport expansion projects
Image: Information Panel, Terminal 1 at Frankfurt AirportPhotographs: Rainer Ebert/Wikimedia Commons
Frankfurt Airport
Rank: 5
Location: Frankfurt, Germany
Project type: Airport Expansion Program
Cost: $5.4 billion
Run by transport company Fraport, Frankfurt Airport is the busiest airport by passenger traffic in Germany, the third busiest in Europe.
It serves the most international destinations in the world, serving 264 destinations in 113 countries
…
20 most expensive airport expansion projects
Image: Terminal 4 Madrid-Barajas AirportPhotographs: Diego Delso/Wikimedia Commons
Madrid-Barajas Airport
Rank: 4
Location: Madrid, Spain
Project type: Construction of Terminal 4
Cost: $7.4 billion
It is the largest and the busiest airport in Spain. It has been the world's 11th busiest airport and Europe's fourth busiest airport.
It opened in 1928, and has grown to be one of the most important aviation centres of Europe.
…
20 most expensive airport expansion projects
Image: Passengers walk at the newly opened Maynard H. Jackson Jr. International Terminal at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport in Atlanta, Georgia.Photographs: Tami Chappell/Reuters
Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International Airport
Rank: 3
Location: Atlanta, United States
Project type: Modernisation
Cost: $9 billion
It has been the world's busiest airport by passenger traffic since 1998, and by number of landings and take-offs since 2005, according to Wikipedia. Last year, it accommodated 95 million passengers and 950,119 flights.
…
20 most expensive airport expansion projects
Image: JFK Airport, Terminal 1.Photographs: Doug Letterman/Wikimedia Commons
John F. Kennedy International Airport
Rank: 2
Location: New York City, United States
Project type: Airport redevelopment
Cost: $10.3 billion
It is the 17th busiest airport in the world and sixth busiest in the United States. It is the base of operations for JetBlue Airways and is a major international gateway hub for American Airlines and Delta Air Lines.
…
20 most expensive airport expansion projects
Image: SkyPlaza at the Hong Kong International Airport Terminal 2.Photographs: Mk2010/Wikimedia Commons
Hong Kong International Airport
Rank: 1
Location: Chek Lap Kok, Hong Kong
Project type: Construction of three-runway system
Cost: $16 billion
It is located on the island, which is largely reclaimed for the construction of the airport itself.
The airport has been commercially operational since 1998, replacing the former Kai Tak Airport, and is an important regional trans-shipment centre, passenger hub and gateway for destinations in Mainland China (with over 40 destinations) and the rest of Asia.
The airport is currently the world's busiest cargo gateway and one of the world's busiest passenger airports.
article