These futuristic new airports will transform travel – and leave Britain in the shade

When finished, Al Maktoum International Airport in Dubai will be the largest in the world

If all goes to plan, these new mega-hubs will shake up the global aviation power rankings, with three aiming for capacities that will exceed the world’s current busiest airport, Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson, which carried 108.1 million passengers in 2024.

Below we take a look at the new airports under construction, and consider how each one could affect British holidaymakers.

Qaqortoq and Ilulissat airports, Greenland

When it opens in April, Qaqortoq Regional Airport will look to kick-start tourism in southern Greenland

Opening: April 2026 (Qaqortoq) and Q4 2026 (Ilulissat)

Runways: 1 each

Capacity: Unknown

Not exactly world-changers, but Greenland’s new regional airports form part of a wider multi-million pound project to make the remote Arctic island more accessible to international tourists.

Located in South Greenland, Qaqortoq Regional Airport will soon replace the ageing Narsarsuaq Airport in a bid to kick-start tourism in this less-visited corner of Greenland. Ilulissat, 350 miles north of capital Nuuk, is due to open later in 2026. These come after the grand opening of Nuuk International in November 2024, which has brought direct flights from the US (Newark Liberty) for the first time.

For British tourists, this trio of airports opens up Greenland as a more viable Arctic holiday destination without having to board a lengthy cruise. However, British arrivals will still have to fly via Reykjavik or Copenhagen, with total travel times ranging from five to eight hours.

Noida International Airport, India

Noida Airport will be used as an important cargo hub

Opening: 2026

Runways: 1, rising to 6

Capacity: 12m, rising to 70m

Located in Jewar in Uttar Pradesh, 50 miles south-east of New Delhi, Noida International Airport has been beset with delays and its opening date remains unclear, although local news reports suggest it should be in the first half of 2026.

IndiGo and Akasa Air have confirmed they will fly into the airport, with Bengaluru, Hyderabad and Mumbai among the likely domestic destinations, and Zurich, Singapore and Dubai possible international routes. The airport will also be used as an important cargo hub.

For British tourists, Noida isn’t a particularly appealing option for stays in New Delhi, as Indira Gandhi International Airport is just 10 miles from the city centre. It is, however, of interest to anyone planning a flying visit to the Taj Mahal. The airport is just off the Yamuna Expressway, meaning it is two hours from Agra and the Taj Mahal by road. There are also plans for a rapid rail corridor to connect Jewar with Agra, in the longer term.

King Salman International Airport, Saudi Arabia

The King Salman International Airport in Saudi Arabia will open in 2030

Opening: 2030

Runways: 6

Capacity: 120m rising to 185m

With a tagline of “Your Journey ..Your Destination” (the two dots are theirs, not ours), King Salman International Airport in Riyadh is set to become one of the world’s busiest airports when it opens in 2030.

The mega-airport has been designed by Foster + Partners, which has previously developed several others including Hong Kong International and Beijing Capital International. The scale is unprecedented, spanning 22 square miles (an area 50 times larger than London’s Hyde Park), and along with your usual airport facilities there will be commercial, residential and recreational areas too.

British holidaymakers tend to fly into Jeddah (for trips to the Red Sea resorts) – so, unless you are a business traveller, you’re most likely to see Riyadh’s new showcase on a layover en route to somewhere in Asia.

Bishoftu International Airport, Ethiopia

Bishoftu International Airport is set to become the largest in Africa

Opening: 2030

Runways: 2, rising to 4

Capacity: 60m, rising to 110m

Located around 25 miles south of Addis Ababa, Bishoftu International Airport is set to become Africa’s biggest aviation hub by the beginning of the next decade.

The airport, described as a “microcosm of Ethiopia”, has been designed by Zaha Hadid Architects, with different parts of the terminal inspired by Ethiopia’s various regions, all centred around a central spine inspired by the Rift Valley.

Most British tourists flying south of Egypt will be heading for a holiday in Kenya or South Africa, both accessible by non-stop flights. However, if you are flying with a connection at an African airport, Bishoftu will represent an appealing layover – especially since its outside areas and natural ventilation have earned the building LEED Gold certification by the Green Building Council.

Al Maktoum International Airport, Dubai

Al Maktoum International Airport will see 260 million annual passengers pass through

Opening: 2032

Runways: 5

Capacity: 260m

This is the big one. Located 28 miles south-west of Dubai, Al Maktoum International Airport will have the largest capacity of any airport on Earth. Its 260 million annual passengers will eclipse the 95.2 million who currently travel through Dubai International Airport, which will gradually be phased out in favour of Al Maktoum.

Renderings of Al Maktoum International Airport show a vast passenger terminal, with floating parks, palm trees and a curving white roof. From above, the airport is designed to resemble traditional Bedouin tents, surrounded by desert fields to one side and artificial forested lakes to the other.

Technically this is a “reopening”, as Al Maktoum International Airport is already in service. However, it has thus far been used primarily for cargo flights, and registered just 1.4m passengers in 2025. That’s similar in scale to Jersey Airport, for comparison.

Port Polska, Warsaw

Port Polska in Poland is set to open in 2032

Opening: 2032

Runways: 2, rising to 4

Capacity: 40m rising to 100m

Located between Warsaw and Łódź, Poland’s long-planned Port Polska (previously known as CPK – Centralny Port Komunikacyjny) has been marred by corruption scandals involving the previous government. Poland’s current prime minister, Donald Tusk, has promised to give the scheme a “clean start” and has allocated some 131 billion Polish zlotys (£27 bn) for its construction.

The airport, designed by Foster + Partners, will incorporate spaces “enlivened by lush greenery and filled with natural light”. It will begin its life with two runways and a capacity of 40 million passengers – equivalent to Gatwick – with the aim of opening a third and possible fourth runway in due course, and to ultimately serve as many as 100 million passengers per year. This would make it one of Europe’s busiest airports, in a league alongside Heathrow, Paris Charles de Gaulle and Amsterdam Schiphol.

New Manila International, Philippines

Construction has begun on New Manila International Airport

Opening: 2028

Runways: 2, rising to 4

Capacity: 35m rising to 100m

Manila has a problem. Its airport, Ninoy Aquino, is over-subscribed and has gained a reputation for overcrowding and delays. Last year it handled more than 50 million passengers, far in excess of its recommended capacity of 35 million. A second problem is that, since it is locked in by residential areas, the airport has nowhere to grow.

Cue New Manila International, which is being built on reclaimed land with the help of the Dutch dredging company, Boskalis. However, some fear that the runways could be submerged within decades owing to rising sea levels, and there have been wider concerns about the environmental impact the airport is having on the Manila Bay ecosystem, not to mention the displacement of more than 700 families from the area.

Still, the project continues apace. When it opens, potentially as early as 2028 on the completion of “phase one”, it will be the biggest airport in the country. If you plan a trip to the Philippines in the 2030s, your flight will likely land here. If you plan a trip to the Philippines in the 2060s, where your plane will land is anyone’s guess.

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