As passenger numbers surge in Asia Pacific more airports are expanding, leading to the rise of what’s dubbed ‘the mega airport’.
IATA projects that passenger numbers in the region will double by 2043, leading airports to upgrade existing facilities and expand—just look at Auckland Airport. However, AKL isn’t among those making the Mega Airports list, defined as those able to handle over 100 million passengers annually. Currently there’s just one Asian airport making it to this category, Tokyo Haneda, but aviation analyst OAG says it won’t be alone for long. While Shanghai Pudong, Beijing Capital, and Delhi are all close behind with between 90-95 million scheduled airline seats in 2024, it is Seoul Incheon and Singapore Changi forecast to join HND next. ICN’s recent expansion and fourth runway, completed last Dec, boosted capacity from 77 million to 106 million.
. . . ‘Mega’ SIN
At the same time, OAG says construction on the new mega-terminal at SIN began in May, with this adding capacity for some 50 million more passengers and taking the airport from nearly 90 million travllers a year to around 140 million by the mid-2030s. Hong Kong International Airport is also forecast to become ‘mega’, with a third runway and new terminal facilities set to increase capacity from the current 74 million up to 104 million in the short term, with the expanded Terminal 2 opening in phases from Sep. Expansion plans at Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport, which includes a fourth runway and new South Terminal, are expected to increase the airport’s operational capacity from 65 million to approximately 150 million passengers per year by 2033; while Ho Chi Minh’s Long Thanh International Airport is currently under construction with the goal of handling 100 million passengers annually across four terminals and runways by 2050. Other destinations to keep an eye on include the Philippines with a third airport planned here, as well as Beijing Daxing International Airport, India’s second Delhi airport, and Kuala Lumpur International Airport.
