Perhaps one of the most distinctive features of an airport is the control tower. They literally tower above the rest of the buildings, as important in stature as they are to the running of the airport. But which are the world's tallest ATC towers? With today being the International Day of the Air Traffic Controller, we thought we'd see.
Airport control towers keep an eye on everything that happens on the ground. Obviously, height is a distinct advantage here. The tower is considered the center of activity, with air traffic control giving the go-ahead for any plane to move, land, take off, or taxi. Although each tower is different, and some are rather distinctive in design, they are generally tall, with some being taller than most others.
A close contest at the top
The award for the tallest air traffic control tower at an airport goes to a rather recent addition. The ATC tower at Saudi Arabia's Jeddah King Abdulaziz International Airport (JED) only opened in 2017, and, at 136 meters (446 feet), it's taller than the Great Pyramid of Giza. Its height also exceeds that of Seattle's Cirrus skyscraper.
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The West Tower at Malaysia's Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KUL) is in second place. According to Aerocorner, it was finished in 2013, and measures 133.8 meters (439 feet) tall. The West Tower has 33 floors plus the rooftop, and is seen in the photograph above. Next year will see it celebrate its 10th birthday.
Rounding out the top three, we have Suvarnabhumi Airport (BKK) in Thailand. The Bangkok tower is a massive 132.2 meters (433.7 feet) tall and gives 360° views over around 32 square kilometers. The tower was finished in 2005, at which point it stole the title of tallest ATC tower by just over two meters from KUL's East Tower.
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The rest of the top five
Despite having had its crown taken, Kuala Lumpur's East Tower still ranks fourth overall, and reaches a height of 130 meters (426.5 feet). It is considerably older than those on the podium, having initially been built almost a quarter of a century ago, back in 1998. Aerocorner notes that it has its own nickname: 'The Slim Lady.'
Rounding out the top five, we have the first instance of an airport (and indeed its ATC tower) that isn't situated in Asia. There is also a larger gap, with the tower in question, at 121 meters (397 feet) tall, being some nine meters (29.5 feet) shorter than fourth-placed KUL Tower East. This belongs to Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International (ATL), the world's busiest airport by passenger traffic.
Does Vancouver count?
As pictured in the photograph above, Atlanta's ATC tower is the tallest in the US and, indeed, North America as a whole. However, some might argue that, when it comes to North America, there is a taller example in the form of the tower at Canada's Vancouver Harbour Water Airport. Here, controllers sit 142 meters (465.9 feet) above the ground, which would make it the tallest ATC tower in the world.
However, ATC is actually situated on top of a 30-story building on Granville Street, next to the harbor, rather than being a freestanding tower in its own right. Therefore, it can't take credit for the tallest tower. Nonetheless, it is an impressive facility.
Do you think Vancouver's harbor tower should count in these standings? Have you ever seen one of these towers on your travels? Let us know your thoughts and experiences in the comments!
Source: Aerocorner