The length of its runway is not necessarily a measure of excellence of an airport. However, longer runways -- that is, runways that are 4,000 mt or more long -- can handle practically any kind of large, wide-bodied aircraft, like the Airbus A-380 or the Antonov AN-225.
The length of the runway also depends on the location of the airport: that is, the higher the altitude of the airport, the longer the runway to accommodate large aircraft. A runway at sea level can handle large aircraft even with a length of 3,100 mt.
The world's longest runway is at Qamdo Bangda Airport in Tibet. It is 5,500 mt long. The second longest runway is at Russia's Ramenskoye Airport and it is 5,403 mt long. At 5,000 mt, the Ulyanovsk Vostochny Airport in Russia is the third longest. The Embraer Unidade Gaviao Peixoto Airport in Brazil is next with a length of 4,967 mt and South Africa's Upington Airport is the fifth longest in the world, at 4,900 mt.
Now check out which are India's longest runways. . .
Image: Beijing's new international airport. | Photograph: Mark Ralston/AFP/Getty Images
Also read: The stunning new Beijing airport
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