DENVER-INTERNATIONAL-AIRPORT - THE WORLDS BIGGEST

The new pound 2.7 billion Denver International Airport in the US state of Colorado is the biggest in the world, Its five 3660 m runways and 420 300 m(2) terminal complex occupy a vast 13 600 ha desert site 37 k m from Denver city centre. Completed in 1995 to replace the notoriousl y congested Stapleton airport, the new facility can handle 640 000 air craft movements and 50 million passengers a year with zero delays, max imum safety and minimal environmental impact. It is also the only airp ort in the world that can land three aircraft simultaneously under ins trument flight rules, This paper reports on the planning, design, cons truction and first year's operation of this state-of-the-art transport facility.