Lazarski Aviation Academy
Aviation records: the fascinating world of aviation
From the oldest airline to the shortest cruise connection to the largest and highest airports on Earth. In this article we take a look at aviation records from around the world.
The world's oldest airline
KLM is the oldest still operating airline in the world. It was founded in October 1919 by a group of investors. They made their first flight on May 17, 1920 on a route from London to Amsterdam, carrying two journalists, a newspaper and a letter aboard a rented small plane. That same year they bought their first four planes.
World's oldest airport
There are several contenders for this title, but the College Park Airport in the town of the same name in the US state of Maryland is officially recognized. It is still in operation today. It was built in 1909 for U.S. Army flight training, to be conducted for two officers by Wilbur Wright himself. Today, a museum operates there, and General Aviation aircraft can still use the airport.
Some consider Berlin-Tempelhof Airport to be the “mother of modern airports.” The first planes landed there in 1909, when the facility was still simply a meadow. The decision to build an airport there was made a year later, but the project was not realized until after World War I. Berlin-Tempelhof opened in 1923. The distinctive terminal was completed in 1940, but was not handed over until a decade later. Tempelhof closed to air traffic in 2008.
World's largest airline
Delta Airlines has been named the world’s largest airline by revenue in 2023. In terms of passengers carried, the title goes to American Airlines (210 million travelers in 2023). It also wins the ranking of largest by fleet size. AA have more than 1,000 aircraft at their disposal.
The largest airport in the world
It’s King Fahd International Airport (IATA code: DMM) in Saudi Arabia. It covers an area of 780 sq. km, making it the largest airport in the world by area. In 2023, it checked in 10.9 million passengers.
Therefore, Altanta-Hartsfield-Jackson (ATL) Airport is considered the world’s largest airport in terms of passenger traffic – with more than 104 million passengers checked in at the end of 2023. Dubai Airport (DXB) came in second, with nearly 87 million passengers.
The longest flight in the world
It’s a route from Singapore (SIN) to New York (JFK) operated with an Airbus A350-900ULR by Singapore Airlines. The trip takes more than 18 hours over 15,000 km.
The shortest flight in the world
This is a commercial route between the islands of Westray and Papa Westray in Orkney, an archipelago north of the Scottish coast. The flight takes less than two minutes, depending on weather conditions, especially wind. The route is less than 3 kilometers long. The connection has made it into the Guinness Book of World Records.
Largest passenger aircraft
The largest passenger aircraft in the world is the Airbus A380. It was produced between 2007 and 2021, and is still present in the fleet of many airlines, from British Airways to Qantas. It is 73 meters long, with a wingspan of almost 80 meters and a height of 24 meters. On two decks, depending on the configuration, can carry up to more than 850 passengers (in a single-class configuration). Emirates airlines has the largest fleet of them. The maximum range is 15,000 km, and the cruising speed is 0.85 Ma.
The longest runway
There are two of them – Shigatse Heping and Ulyanovsk-Vostochnyy in Russia. Both measure 5,000 meters in length each. The first is used by a civilian airport and military base serving the second largest city in the Tibet Autonomous Region. The second is the hub of cargo carrier Volga-Dnepr Airlines. The longest runway in the southern hemisphere boasts Embraer Unidade Gavião Peixoto Airport – 4967 meters.
The highest airport in the world
Daocheng Yading Airport in Daocheng County, Garzê Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, Sichuan Province, China, lies at 4411 meters above sea level. The runway is 4,200 meters long and 45 meters wide.
Aviation at Lazarski University
We encourage you to explore the intriguing world of modern aviation by reading our blog and enrolling in aviation majors at Lazarski Aviation Academy at Lazarski University.
