BEST NEW AIRPORTS AROUND THE WORLD
Added on: 7th Jun 2014
HEATHROW’S SHINY NEW QUEEN’S TERMINAL
Heathrow's new terminal cost £2.5 billion to build and covers
25,000 square metres. 26 airlines will operate out of it. The new terminal
has 60 check-in gates and 66 self-check-in kiosks, 29 security lanes,
33 shops, 17 restaurants (including Heston Blumenthal’s newbie),
7,000 seats, 634 toilets and one huge sculpture. Over 15 million
passengers are expected to pass through it every year.
Designed by Luis Vidal, Terminal 2, or the Queen’s Terminal as it
will officially be known, is a hi-tech affair, thanks to high levels of insulation,
LED and passive lighting. The building will produce 40 per less cent carbon
dioxide than the old terminal, and large north-facing windows and
solar panels will reduce the need for artificial lighting without generating
excess heat. Heating will be produced by the terminal’s very own energy centre.
ARGYLE INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT, ST VINCENT, CARIBBEAN
The beautiful islands of St Vincent and the Grenadines will become
significantly more accessible thanks to a brand new airport on the island
of St Vincent, which will allow international visitors to fly straight to the island,
instead of travelling via Barbados. Construction costs have so far reached
£143 million and companies from Taiwan, Turkey, Cuba and
Iran have all helped out.
BERLIN BRANDENBURG AIRPORT, BERLIN, GERMANY
Berlin Brandenburg is intended as a replacement for both Berlin Schönefeld
and Berlin Tegel airports. It will become the third busiest airport in Germany
when it opens, although it's also been subject to numerous delays – it
was initially due to open in 2010 but will now open in 2016. Two entire villages
were cleared to make way for the airport, which will be located 11 miles
south of the city centre, which will become the new hub for Air Berlin.
CHATRAPATI SHIVAJI INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT,
MUMBAI, INDIA
The opening of the new terminal two at Chatrapati Shivaji International Airport
increased the size of the airport by three million square metres, and
increased passenger capacity to 40 million per year. It's one of the more
beautiful places to wait to board a plane, thanks to open air pavilions
inspired by traditional Indian architecture, a ceiling designed to resemble a
peacock's tail and the use of stained glass to create a colourful, light-filled space.
WORLD CENTRAL AIRPORT DUBAI, DUBAI, UAE
Although this airport is officially open, construction is ongoing, with the aim of
making it the world's largest airport, or, in the words of the team behind it,
‘the world’s first purpose-built aerotropolis.’ (Of course, this is Dubai.)
It was initially designed with a passenger capacity of 120 million but there are
now plans to increase this to 200 million by 2020.
The first planes took off from the airport late last year.
HAMAD INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT, DOHA, QATAR
When fully completed, this enormous airport, will occupy 29 square kilometres
(a third of the size of Doha) and will have cost over £8 billion to build.
It has an annual passenger capacity of 50 million and there are exhibition
spaces for art exhibitions, a mosque and a terminal solely for the use of VIPS,
designed in the shape of an Arabian sailboat.
V. C. BIRD INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT, ANTIGUA AND BARBUDA
Antigua and Barbuda is another slice of the Caribbean which will soon become a
little more accessible thanks to the expansion of the island's main airport.
The original building was constructed in 1942 by the US army, but in 1949 the
airport was turned over to the government of Antigua and Barbuda.
The new terminal, which will open in autumn 2014 and is being built by a
Chinese construction firm, will allow more international passengers to fly directly to
Antigua and Barbuda rather than via Barbados.
MIDFIELD TERMINAL, ABU DHABI, UAE
Due for completion in 2017, the Midfield Terminal will increase passenger
capacity of Abu Dhabi's International Airport to 30 million a year and
will become the new home of Etihad Airways. The new terminal is part of
the government's Plan Abu Dhabi 2030, which aims to increase visitor
numbers to the region. The terminal will become one of the largest in the
Middle East, with a ceiling taller than the Emirates Palace and
enough space for three football pitches.
SIKHUPHE INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT, SWAZILAND
At the moment, getting to Swaziland involves several hops, with the
final destination being Matsapha airport, which caters mainly to small
regional airlines. The new airport will handle up to 300,000 passengers a year,
and is part of King Mswati III’s so-called millennium project, which was
created to enhance Swaziland's position as a tourist destination – the region is
a gateway to Victoria Falls, Maputo, the Kruger National Park and KwaZulu-Natal
game reserves. The airport is expected to open next year.
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