By Dianne Apen-Sadler
Published on
Even if you’re not a frequent flyer, there’s a good chance you’ll have passed through airports such as London Heathrow, Istanbul, or Dubai International over the course of your travels.
Serving as international hubs, each serves millions of passengers every year.
But the coming decade is set to see a big shake up to the aviation industry with a number of new mega airports joining the scene – including one in Europe.
Port Polska, Poland, to become one of Europe’s biggest transport hubs
Originally named Centralny Port Komunikacyjny (CPK), Port Polska is set to open between the Polish capital Warsaw and the city of Łódź in 2032.
With two runways, the hub will have capacity to welcome around 40 million passengers annually, becoming one of the largest in Europe.
Plans for the travel hub also include the addition of a railway station, with the intention of connecting the airport to cities such as Kraków, Gdańsk and Wrocław by high-speed rail.
Construction is set to begin this year, with British architectural studio Foster + Partners designing the hub.
UAE set to welcome Dubai World Central Al Maktoum International Airport
Dubai International Airport is currently the second busiest airport in the world, according to the latest report by travel data provider OAG.
But all that will change over the next decade as the city’s main hub moves from DXB to Dubai World Central Al Maktoum International Airport.
Currently, DWC handles just over a million passengers a year, but in 2024 plans were revealed to transform the airport into the world’s busiest hub, with five runways and a capacity of 150 million passengers annually.
At the Dubai Airshow last year, Dubai Airports CEO Paul Griffiths said that the transition would take place in 2032.
King Salman International Airport, Saudi Arabia, expects 185 million passengers annually by 2050
Covering 780 square kilometres, Saudi Arabia’s King Fahd International Airport in Riyadh is already the largest airport in the world by area, servicing 12.8 million passengers in 2024.
By 2030, the country is hoping that number will increase nearly tenfold to 120 million passengers – and it’s all thanks to an ambitious expansion plan.
The upcoming King Salman International Airport, which will absorb the current terminals, is set to have six parallel runways, with capacity increasing even further to 185 million passengers by 2050.
Bishoftu International Airport in Ethiopia to become Africa’s largest airport
Set to become Africa’s largest airport, Bishoftu International Airport is currently under construction around 40 kilometres south of the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa.
Designed by Zaha Hadid Architects, the first phase of the airport, which can handle 60 million passengers annually, is expected to be completed in 2030.
While no target date has been announced for when it will be fully finished, the airport plans to eventually expand and handle up to 110 million passengers a year.
High-speed rail will connect Bishoftu International Airport to the capital as well as the current airport.