What Are The Longest Runways In The World?

'Build one mile of highway, and it will take you just one mile...but a mile of runway will take you anywhere,' - this is a saying that people in the aviation world love to repeat. Of course, in reality, the largest jets need closer to two miles of runway, and 'anywhere' is restricted to fuel and weight limitations.

Generally speaking, the larger a plane is, the longer a runway it needs to operate. A fully-loaded Airbus A380 needs 3,000 m (9,800 ft) of runway to take off, while the Boeing 747-8 requires 3,100 m (10,200 ft). Meanwhile, smaller narrowbodies such as the Airbus A318 only need 1,780 meters (5,840 ft). Altitude above sea level will also alter the length of runway needed for takeoff.

But the longest runways in the world have a couple of kilometers to spare for what a fully loaded superjumbo requires. So what are the longest runways in the world, and why do we need them?

Why do we need long runways?

At the most basic level, long runways are needed to allow an aircraft to accelerate to an acceptable speed that will produce lift and become airborne. Unsurprisingly, the larger and heavier the plane is, the more speed is required, and therefore, more runway length needed.

Additional runway length can also help with unfavorable weather conditions, which, for landing, in particular, will help with safety. Extra stopping distance may be required due to a slippery runway, perhaps lightly coated by snow. Hotter temperatures and high altitudes will also affect an aircraft's length of runway needed on take-off.

Therefore, when it comes to aircraft operations, the longer the runway, the better (although, of course, they cost a pretty penny to build).

Photo: Gatwick Airport

Qamdo Bamda: The world's longest runway?

Our research leads us to believe that Qamdo Bamda Airport (BPX) in Tibet has the world's longest runway at 5,500 meters. Nestled in the eastern portion of the Himalayan mountain range north of Myanmar, the runway's length is a necessity due to its high altitude. According to Great Tibet Tour, the airport is also known as "the world's farthest airport away from the downtown," - as it is located 136 km away from the nearest Qamdo town.

The airport and runway were completed in August 1978 and are situated 4,400 meters above sea level. This makes it China's second-highest airport, after Daocheng Yading Airport (DCY), situated at a height of 4,411 meters and completed in 2013, which is the highest civilian airport in the world.

As we alluded to above, high altitude affects engine performance and the ability of the wings to acquire the lift needed to get the aircraft airborne. The oxygen level at the airport is only 50% of that at sea level. Hence the need for a long runway (the one at Daocheng Yading is 4,300 meters or 13,800 ft).

It's possible that this "was" the world's longest runway, as some reports note that the 5,500-meter runway is no longer in use and is replaced by a 4,500-meter runway.

Zhukovsky International Airport

At 5,400 meters, Moscow's Zhukovsky International Airport (ZIA) has the second-longest runway in the world (or first, depending on the operational situation at Qamdo Bamda). The runway was opened in 2016, with Zhukovsky serving as Moscow's fourth international airport (along with Sheremetyevo, Domodedovo, and Vnukovo).

At any rate, the airport's runway stands as the longest in Europe and will have no problem at all handling a fully loaded Airbus A380 (or the late Antonov An-225 while it was still operational and not destroyed following Russia's attack on Ukraine). Zhukovsky is host to the MAKS International Aviation and Space Salon, last held in July 2021.