Which of the following is the largest airport in the world in terms of land area covered?

Introduction / Context:
Airports can be compared using many measures such as passenger traffic, number of flights and land area. This question asks specifically about the largest airport in the world by land area. Knowing this helps in understanding global transport hubs and the scale of modern aviation infrastructure.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• The criterion is total land area, not passenger numbers or flight frequency.
• Options are King Fahd International Airport (Dammam), Indira Gandhi International Airport (Delhi), Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International Airport and Beijing Capital International Airport.
• We assume standard, widely used figures for airport land area.

Concept / Approach:
King Fahd International Airport in Dammam, Saudi Arabia, is widely cited as the largest airport in the world by land area, covering several hundred square kilometres. Other airports like Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta and Beijing Capital rank highly in terms of passenger traffic, but they occupy much smaller physical areas compared to King Fahd International Airport. To answer, we match this fact against the given options.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Distinguish between “busiest airport” by passengers and “largest airport” by land area. Step 2: Recall that King Fahd International Airport in Dammam has a very large land area, often described as over 700 square kilometres. Step 3: Note that Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta is famous for being one of the busiest by passenger numbers, not by area. Step 4: Recognise that Beijing Capital and Indira Gandhi International are also major airports but do not match King Fahd in land coverage. Step 5: Conclude that King Fahd International Airport is the correct answer for largest area.

Verification / Alternative check:
A quick check in aviation references confirms that King Fahd International Airport has the largest land area among commercial airports. Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International Airport frequently tops lists of busiest passenger airports, while Beijing Capital and Indira Gandhi International handle very large traffic volumes but occupy smaller land areas. This confirms that King Fahd International Airport is correctly identified as the largest by area.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Indira Gandhi International Airport, Delhi: A major hub in India, but its land area is far smaller than King Fahd's.

Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International Airport: Extremely busy by passenger numbers yet not the largest in area.
Beijing Capital International Airport: Another high-traffic airport that does not match the land area of King Fahd International Airport.

Common Pitfalls:
The main confusion arises from mixing up “busiest” with “largest.” Students often remember media reports about the busiest passenger airports and choose Atlanta or Beijing, ignoring that land area is a different metric. Always read the question carefully and identify whether the superlative refers to area, traffic, height, or some other measure.

Final Answer:
Therefore, the largest airport in the world by land area is King Fahd International Airport, Dammam.